Texas man sentenced to death for beating his girlfriend to death while out on bond and wearing a GPS ankle monitor for abusing her and holding her in his home against her will.
Under Texas law, murder generally carries a sentence of five to 99 years or life imprisonment, with parole eligibility after serving half the term or 30 years, whichever is less. In this case, however, the prosecution proved and the jury found that Valerian O’Steen had murdered Marissa Grimes in direct retaliation for her reporting him for domestic violence. Under state law, this elevated the crime to a capital offense. The jury condemned O’Steen to death after finding that there were no mitigating factors sufficient to warrant leniency.
>Grimes was scared, and her family convinced her to move to West Texas. But soon, Grimes and O’Steen were again talking, texting, and seeing each other. Driving a U-Haul packed for her move, she stopped by his home late on February 12, 2022, to say a quick goodbye. That goodbye turned into an evening where Grimes and O’Steen visited one of O’Steen’s neighbors, who saw O’Steen threaten Grimes with a gun. That was the last time Grimes was seen alive. Grimes’s family soon reported her missing.
>Before going to the witness stand during his capital murder trial in the killing of a woman with whom he had a casual sexual relationship, Valerian O’Steen walked this week from holdover quarters into the courtroom and blew a kiss to the gallery and his current girlfriend.
This story could have been about my sister in law, except her abusive husband OD’d on bad coke before he could escalate to murder. He even did the whole “criminalize the victim” game and of course TX authorities were no help and pressured her to plea out into a criminal record. TX is rotten.
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Under Texas law, murder generally carries a sentence of five to 99 years or life imprisonment, with parole eligibility after serving half the term or 30 years, whichever is less. In this case, however, the prosecution proved and the jury found that Valerian O’Steen had murdered Marissa Grimes in direct retaliation for her reporting him for domestic violence. Under state law, this elevated the crime to a capital offense. The jury condemned O’Steen to death after finding that there were no mitigating factors sufficient to warrant leniency.
>Grimes was scared, and her family convinced her to move to West Texas. But soon, Grimes and O’Steen were again talking, texting, and seeing each other. Driving a U-Haul packed for her move, she stopped by his home late on February 12, 2022, to say a quick goodbye. That goodbye turned into an evening where Grimes and O’Steen visited one of O’Steen’s neighbors, who saw O’Steen threaten Grimes with a gun. That was the last time Grimes was seen alive. Grimes’s family soon reported her missing.
Killer avoids looking at victim autopsy photo as he testifies in Fort Worth trial
>Before going to the witness stand during his capital murder trial in the killing of a woman with whom he had a casual sexual relationship, Valerian O’Steen walked this week from holdover quarters into the courtroom and blew a kiss to the gallery and his current girlfriend.
Mixed feelings here. On one hand I do not agree with capital punishment. Life in prison would be a much more humane sentence.
On the other hand, I’m pleasantly surprised to see Texas courts actually siding with a woman in an abuse/murder case and dealing justice.
This story could have been about my sister in law, except her abusive husband OD’d on bad coke before he could escalate to murder. He even did the whole “criminalize the victim” game and of course TX authorities were no help and pressured her to plea out into a criminal record. TX is rotten.
So fucking gross. Wish they’d treat this shit more seriously.