Man sentenced to life in prison for murder of Arlington store clerk

An Arlington man was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison after shooting and killing a clerk at a south Arlington convenience store.

20-year-old Dorian Woodard was sentenced to life in prison, plus a $10,000 fine for the murder of 31-year-old clerk Jordan Hightower in 2021.

Woodard went to the E-Z Mart south of Interstate 20 near Matlock and Bardin roads in Arlington around 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2021.

He pulled a handgun on Hightower, shooting him several times.

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Woodard was unable to open the cash register, but grabbed some merchandise before leaving the store. He later returned to grab more items.

Hightower was left unconscious on the floor behind the counter for more than an hour before someone called 911. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

"This was a senseless act of violence," said Tarrant County Assistant Criminal District Attrorney Kyle Russo.