Man sentenced to life for murder of Kaufman County resident
Deaundre Bernard Walker (Source: Kaufman County Jail)
KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas - A Kaufman County jury has convicted Deaundre Bernard Walker of murder and a judge sentenced him to life in prison for the "pre-meditated targeted attack" that resulted in the shooting death of Forney resident Gabriel Diosdado Arteaga in February 2024.
Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney Erleigh Norville Wiley announced the conviction and life sentence for Walker, 26, on Friday.
The backstory:
Arteaga, a father and resident of Kaufman County, was gunned down in his driveway at the Summer Haven Mobile Home Park and RV as he was leaving for work. Forney police identified the shooting as a "targeted attack" and arrested Walker and co-defendant Mayra Lara, who was also charged with murder and possession of a controlled substance.
Forney murder suspects arrested for 'targeted attack,' police say
A man and a woman are charged with murder for what Forney police are calling a "pre-meditated targeted attack."
Investigators said the victim and both suspects knew each other, and one of the suspects had been asked to leave the victim's address about a week before the killing. A search of Walker's residence at the time of his arrest yielded 240 grams of narcotics.
Following a three-day trial, the jury returned a guilty verdict on the first-degree felony murder charge.
Walker elected to have Judge Shelton Gibbs of the 422nd District Court assess his punishment. During the sentencing hearing, the court heard emotional testimony from Arteaga’s family and evidence of Walker’s prior prison sentence in Florida for narcotics and firearm possession.
What they're saying:
Before handing down the life sentence, Judge Gibbs addressed Walker directly: "The reason that you are here is because of the choices that you made. You cannot move past this moment in life until you appreciate that you are the result of your own choices."
District Attorney Wiley affirmed the commitment to justice, stating, "Every act of violence leaves devastation in its wake. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of this crime and reaffirms our commitment to holding offenders fully accountable for their choices."
Dig deeper:
According to the Kaufman County District Clerk's Office, Mayra Lara's jury trial was set for this past Monday, but was canceled and is expected to be rescheduled.
She is currently in the Kaufman County Jail. The charges listed for her are: murder, possession of a controlled substance, and prohibited substance in a correctional facility. She has been in jail since Feb. 7, 2024.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Kaufman County criminal district attorney and the Forney Police Department.