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Seagoville man who killed roommate while on mushrooms sentenced

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Published  July 22, 2025 10:54am CDT
Seagoville
FOX 4
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Russell Alan Ragsdale Jr.

The Brief

    • Russell Alan Ragsdale was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm while under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms.
    • Ragsdale shot and killed his roommate in February 2022, claiming self-defense, but a judge found insufficient evidence to support his claim.
    • Authorities found three firearms and hallucinogenic mushrooms at the scene, and Ragsdale admitted to being intoxicated when he possessed the gun.

SEAGOVILLE, Texas - A Dallas man who fatally shot his roommate while under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms has been sentenced to 66 months in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas.

Russell Ragsdale Sentenced

Russell Alan Ragsdale, 25, received the sentence from Senior U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn on Thursday, July 17, 2025, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Ragsdale has been in federal custody since his arrest on Nov. 22, 2024.

Ragsdale pleaded guilty on April 29, 2025, to possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. As part of his plea, he admitted he was intoxicated from hallucinogenic mushrooms when he possessed the 10mm Glock used in the shooting.

The sentencing judge determined that Ragsdale's self-defense claim was not sufficiently supported by evidence and noted that the victim's death was "the defendant’s own making."

The backstory:

Ragsdale was arrested on Feb. 3, 2022, in Seagoville following the shooting death of his roommate. At the time, Ragsdale told Seagoville police his roommate attacked him and that he shot him "many times" in self-defense.

Investigators recovered three firearms from the residence, including a 10mm Glock and an AR-15 rifle, along with nearly two grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms. 

An analysis of Ragsdale’s phone showed a history of drug use dating back to November 2021, and evidence of purchasing and using hallucinogenic mushrooms on Feb. 2, 2022, the day before the shooting.

Suspect tried to enter Dallas church with a tactical rifle

This case also brings to light a separate incident where Ragsdale allegedly attempted to enter a Dallas church with a tactical rifle. Police reported he closed the parking lot gates before trying to re-enter the church where approximately 100 people were inside. 

A man who disarmed him believed Ragsdale intended to shoot people inside the church.

Ragsdale remains in custody pending transfer to the Bureau of Prisons to serve his sentence.

The Source: Information in this article is from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas.

SeagovilleCrime and Public Safety