After a capital murder trial concluded Monday, when a jury convicted Shane James Jr. of multiple counts connected to Austin area deaths in 2023, the Bexar County District Attorney said another trial is soon to come.
James, 37, was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole, according to Travis County court records. He was found guilty on four counts of capital murder for killing four people in the Austin area.
However, investigators said the death toll is six people. James will be put on another trial for the murder of his parents in Bexar County, which happened less than 24 hours before the deaths in the Austin area.
The district attorney said James was indicted on capital murder charges on Oct. 28. The trial is assigned to Judge Michael Mery in the 144th Criminal District Court.
No court date has been set as of Tuesday morning, and the district attorney said no additional details are available related to the Bexar County case.
Among the first of many killed were his parents, Phyllis James, 55, and Shane James Sr., 56. Both were shot in the head on Dec. 4, 2023, at their home in the Mission Hill community near Kirby, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said at a news conference at the time.
Investigators believe his parents were the first victims of a violent killing spree. Less than 24 hours later, James killed four more people in the Travis County area.
Nearly three years after James was arrested, his capital murder trial for the Austin-area deaths began last month on Oct. 29 with testimony from multiple witnesses of James’ shootings.
First responders, investigators and forensic specialists watched video from multiple crime scenes and were shown evidence of the capital murder case.
As testimony continued, jurors heard more evidence about James’ mental state and the defense team’s legal insanity argument.
The jury found James guilty, and he will spend the rest of his life in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s prison in Huntsville.
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