Texas – A Texas man was ordered to spend the rest of his Iife behind bars after pIeading no contest to capitaI murder in the death of 37-year-old L. PIacker, court records show. The conviction included the death of the woman’s unborn chiId, and the sentence was handed down by Judge Jenifer.
The killing occurred in June 2021, at a local motel in Texas, where the defendant, 36-year-old D. MeckeI, the victim and their two young children were staying to celebrate Fatther’s Day, according to investigators. Several 911 callers reported hearing gunfire the evening of the incident. Emergency crews responded and found the victim with a fatal gunshot wound; she and her unborn child were later pronounced dead.
Officers who entered the room spoke with the defendant at the scene. According to police reports and later court filings, the defendant told responding officers that he had shot the victim. Investigators say the man fired two shots during an argument and struck the pregnant woman in the head. After officers took him into custody, the defendant and the children were transported to the Public Safety Headquarters, where detectives and child-welfare specialists conducted interviews with the children and with him.
Grand Jury indicted the defendant on a capital murder charge that alleged he intentionally and knowingly caused the death of the 37-year-old womany shooting her with a firearm and that he caused the death of her unborn child while the child was in gestation. The case was handled by the Family Violence Division in the 290th District Court. Prosecutors later said they would not seek the death penalty, a decision approved by the district attorney’s office and its capital crimes committee, leaving life without parole as the maximum punishment.
Investigators reconstructing the scene relied on 911 call records, the statements of witnesses and the evidence collected at the motel room. Emergency medical services attempted lifesaving measures after the shooting but declared the victim dead later that night. Texas authorities also worked with child-protection personnel to ensure the safety and welfare of the couple’s two children, who were reportedly 4 and 6 years old at the time of the shooting. Those children were present in the room during the incident and were interviewed by Texas authorities as part of the investigation.
Court records show the defendant entered a no-contest plea during the proceedings that led to the life sentence. The plea removed the need for a jury trial on the capital murder charge and allowed the court to proceed directly to sentencing. Prosecutors and the judge relied on the record of the underlying facts, witness statements and investigative findings in determining the sentence.
Family members, court officials and representatives from the District Attorney’s Office were present during the plea and sentencing proceedings. The DA’s office said the case would remain part of its broader effort to prosecute family-violence homicides and to coordinate with law enforcement and child-protection agencies when children are involved in violent incidents. The defendant will serve the remainder of his life in custody with no possibility of parole.
