AUSTIN (KXAN) — The man found responsible of killing Austin defense legal professional, James Short, recieved a forty-yr prison sentence Tuesday in Travis County. Justin Twyne, 26, pleaded no longer guilty to the homicide charge in reference to Short’s 2017 death at his Rockwood Circle home in southwest Travis County. The prosecution requested the jury Tuesday in the course of remaining arguments for sentencing to bear in mind the punishment of lifestyles in jail for Twyne. The protection, however, requested the jury to recall “unexpected ardour,” that means Twyne may be punished anywhere between two to 20 years alternatively because via law, if a jury unearths unexpected passion existed within the commission of the homicide, it would be bumped down to a 2d diploma range of punishment. Twyne might be eligible for parole in two decades. After the sentencing decision got here down, own family participants took the stand for victim effect statements. “I will hate you for all time [for] what you have got performed to my circle of relatives. You chose to murder my uncle. You have taken the love I had for 59 years for a brilliant guy. I will never forgive you,” Linda Proctor Owens instructed Twyne. Another of Short’s nieces, Kay Brown, advised KXAN, “I wouldn’t experience secure with [Twyne] out at the streets. I suppose he preys on older men.” “I’m no longer positive I hate him, however I can’t ever forgive that he has clearly no remorse,” Brown endured.
Over the route of the week-long trial, it was revealed Short, who become 74 years antique on the time of his loss of life and 50 years older than his attacker, were stabbed 26 to 28 instances and burned over distinct components of his frame. Authorities got here to suspect Twyne after investigators allegedly found a bloody knife with Twyne’s fingerprint on it on the scene in conjunction with files that had his call on it. Prosecutors stated evidence on the crime scene discovered he become tortured. “This is an unsightly case due to the fact what you’ve got here is a man who decided, when he changed into there at Jim’s residence, to kill him and take his money,” Jeremy Sylestine, a Travis Co. Assistant district legal professional, told the jury for the duration of remaining arguments. Prosecutors argued Twyne desired to escape with Short’s cash and an $18,000 credit line. “Our concept is that Justin just got infuriated at his attacker [being Short, allegedly] — that once the attacker came closer to him, he felt like he had to shield his existence,” said Russ Hunt, Twyne’s defense lawyer. Hunt says the defense will file an enchantment for his or her patron in this case. The prosecution denied any sexual assault took place earlier than Short become killed. Short was observed useless inner a rest room in his home on April 7, 2017 via circle of relatives contributors who had come to his home after they were not able to reach him on the smartphone, which they said was uncommon. His circle of relatives noticed him alive the day before. It changed into argued Twyne killed Short in the night hours of April 6, after the two have been believed to be seen together in surveillance video from a Walmart. The video showed a man matching Twyne’s description walking with Short, with flora and plants in the shopping cart. The two men left the store collectively inside the legal professional’s Chevrolet Suburban. A receipt in Short’s pocket confirmed a purchase became made at a Walmart at 6:sixteen p.M. Twyne was found in a New Orleans hotel the day after Short became found dead, by way of participants of the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force. He was arrested on an unrelated break out warrant that confirmed he was charged with break out through the Georgia Department of Corrections after he did not return to a work-release program. He turned into in that application for a price of monetary transaction card fraud. After a seek warrant became issued for Twyne’s hotel room, government located credit playing cards belonging to Short interior. Prosecutors discovered Twyne turned into already a convicted felon for fraud expenses, prior to the murder conviction.