Drug Related Homicides

After using phone records and information disclosed by a witness to identify and arrest a suspect, law enforcement in Lewisville recently constructed a drug-related homicide case against an individual. The individual was then placed in the Denton County Jail on a $100,000 bond for a murder charge and $25,000 on an unrelated assault charge. The case arose when law enforcement found an individual who had been shot six times at close range in a parked vehicle. Law enforcement studied the trajectory of the bullets and determined that the murderer was located in the front seat of the vehicle. Law enforcement then talked to a witness who had been face-to-face with an individual during which time the assassin determined that individual held a firearm. Law enforcement then found drugs located in the vehicle, which led them to determine that the vehicle had been involved in a drug sale. Law enforcement then determined that the suspect in question was the member of a local gang who was affiliated with a drug distributor.

The suspect in question was also the suspect in a recent assault case. After obtaining a warrant to search the deceased individual’s phone, law enforcement determined that the deceased individual’s last phone call had been to the suspect. After a trial, the suspect in question was charged with murder, a first-degree felony, a conviction for which will result in the individual facing five to 99 years in prison.

The Different Types of Homicides in the State of Texas

Law in the state of Texas divides homicide into four different types of charges:

  • Capital Murder: This crime includes an intentional killing with aggravating facts. Although this charge is the most serious type of homicide, it is rare for individuals to face this charge. Some of the various aggravating factors can include murder-for-hire and murders involving the killing of a law enforcement officer,
  • Criminally Negligent Homicide: This act includes killing under circumstance where the risks of homicide are disregarded.
  • Manslaughter: This act include a reckless killing.This type of homicide results in individuals facing second degree murder. In many circumstances, individuals argue that their judgment was obscured and the individual did not possess the proper intent to kill.
  • Murder: This act includes intentional killing or homicide in course of committing an intentional felony. Intentional killings or cases that involve an intent to cause “serious bodily injury” result in individuals first degree murder charges. A felony murder refers to a murder that occurs while an individual is in the process of committing a felony but not require that an individual possesses the “intent to kill” another individual.

Contact a Knowledgeable Criminal Defense Attorney

For individuals who are charged with a drug related homicide or any other type of murder charge, it is frequently a wise idea to contact a knowledgeable attorney like the legal counsel at Wheeler Law Office. Do not hesitate to contact our law office today so that we can create the best possible defense in order to respond to your charge and reach the best possible conclusion.