Justice arrived in Fayette County this past Monday as Charles Lee Tillman, Jr., was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of David Wayne Harrison Jr. The Office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the jury's decision following a three-day trial that ended April 19, with Tillman found guilty and the subsequent punishment phase culminating in a life sentence handed down on April 22.
On a somber evening, back on May 30, 2021, an argument between Harrison and Tillman’s daughter escalated, leading to a tragic outcome. Tillman took a fateful ride from Glidden to La Grange, Texas, brandishing a gun and, ultimately, taking Harrison's life with three shots before slipping away into a months-long evasion of law enforcement. Tillman was on parole for a narcotics case at the time, of the offense. Without direct eyewitnesses, investigators pinned down the killer using technology, from surveillance footage at River Valley Apartments to cell tower data tracing Tillman's movements.
The Texas Attorney General's Office detailed the critical evidence that helped to stitch together the events of that night. The surveillance footage didn't conclusively identify Tillman but did capture his girlfriend's Silver Nissan Maxima, which linked him to the crime scene during the key time frames. Further implicating Tillman, a dropped key fob at the scene and phone records that showed communication with his daughter and her mother just prior to the murder rounded out the prosecutorial case.
The Texas Rangers alongside the La Grange Police Department played a crucial role in the investigation, painstakingly gathering evidence, such as surveillance footage and the crucial key fob found by a resident the following morning. Assistant Attorney Generals Joshua Somers and Britni Cooper led the charge in the courtroom, presenting the case that would eventually bring Tillman to justice for Harrison’s untimely death. Tillman, now facing life behind bars, will carry the weight of his actions for decades to come with the possibility of parole surfacing after 30 years.
