A Pasadena woman was sentenced late Thursday to 25 years in prison and a $5,000 fine for shooting her estranged husband while he played with his 3-year-old son, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“This woman had a premeditated plan of attack to intentionally kill the father of her children and went through with it in broad daylight,” Ogg said. “It is an absolute tragedy that because of her, this man’s kids will grow up without a father.”

Samantha Washington, 34, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Harris County Jury for killing 28-year-old Gregory Kirk on May 11, 2021.

Washington and Kirk had been married with three children but were separated.

On the day of the shooting, Kirk was outside of his place of employment on his lunch break. Washington had brought his three-year-old son so that Kirk could play with the little boy. In front of several eyewitnesses, and on surveillance video, Washington pulled a handgun, approached Kirk and fatally shot him.

She was arrested the same day by the Pasadena Police Department.

Assistant District Attorneys Matthew Magill and Nevin Denise Day who are both assigned to the DA’s Domestic Violence Division, prosecuted the case.

Magill noted that Washington texted Kirk a week before the attack and threatened to kill him.

“You can see on the surveillance video that she walked up, shot him and started to walk away,” Magill said. “As he was on the ground, begging for his life, she walked back and shot him in the heart.”

Washington must serve at least half of the prison sentence before she will be eligible for parole.

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