An Ector County jury convicted Courtney Chelle Rice of shooting her 48-year-old boyfriend in the face while he was sleeping.
Rice was found guilty of manslaughter, a press release from the Ector County District Attorney’s office detailed, as she was indicted a charge of murder, a first-degree felony, on Aug. 19, 2019. Rice was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The jury trial finished Friday in the 70th District Courtroom of Judge Denn Whalen. The attorneys for the State of Texas were Elizabeth Howard and Kortney Williams. Rice was represented by attorney Michael McLeish.
A previous Odessa American article detailed that Rice shot and killed her 48-year-old boyfriend, Jose Melendez Hernandez, on April 2, 2019. The fatal shooting was reported at 2:08 a.m. April 2, 2019, in the 2100 block of Stoner Road, an Ector County Sheriff’s Office release stated.
Deputies located Hernandez on a bed with a gunshot wound to the face, an ECSO affidavit stated. The gun was a Smith and Wesson Governor .45 caliber revolver.
Hernandez was transported to the emergency room of Medical Center Hospital where he died, the affidavit detailed.
Deputies located an unidentified witness in the residence who reportedly heard Rice and Hernandez arguing and a short time later heard a loud noise. The witness stated in the affidavit that Rice told her that she had shot Hernandez.
Deputies interviewed Rice after reading her Miranda Warning and at that time she admitted to shooting Hernandez and then calling 911, the affidavit stated.
