Texas Man Gets 7 Years For Repo Murder
TRINITY, Texas (KTRE) – A Huntsville man convicted of a fatal shooting in Trinity County has been sentenced.
Robert Lee Marze, 76, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for the murder of James Brown, 51. According to Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace, Marze was attempting to repossess a vehicle he’d sold to Brown when the situation escalated to a shooting, leading to Brown’s death.
According to 258th District Attorney Bennie Schiro, Marze was tried twice by a jury. The first trial ended in a hung jury. The second trial ended in a unanimous guilty verdict. The jury rejected a self-defense claim by Marze. Marze chose to have the judge sentence him instead of that jury, Schiro said.
In a hearing on Tuesday, the judge heard from Brown’s family as well as Marze’s family and friends. Afterward, the judge sentenced Marze to seven years in prison. The punishment range for the murder charge was from five to 99 years, Schiro said. Schiro said he had asked for a life sentence for Marze.
Marze will be eligible for parole in three and a half years, he added.
Additionally, Marze is accused of attempting to bribe Sheriff Woody Wallace, sending through a confidential informant $10,000 cash to the sheriff to “make the charge go away,” Wallace confirmed. Walker County revoked his bond for the attempt and added a charge of bribery. Wallace said that charge is in the jurisdiction of Walker County, and Marze could still face prosecution for it.
