Garrett Reeves found guilty of aggravated assault with deadly weapon; sentenced to 30 years.
Updated: Jul 31, 2023
It took a jury about an hour on Thursday to find Garrett Reeves guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the April 9, 2022 shooting of his father – Erath County auditor Kent Reeves – inside the family’s home.
He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
During the four-day trial, Reeves’ court-appointed attorney Jud Woodley tried to paint a picture of a son who reacted in self-defense during a heated argument with his father; one that ended with at least 23 gunshots.
Kent Reeves was hit at least a dozen times, but miraculously survived. He spent weeks in the hospital and had multiple surgeries before returning home and to work.
He testified that on the night of the shooting, he and Garrett had a beer and mixed a couple of cocktails before the evening turned violent.
He claimed that in the months leading up to the shooting, Garrett had grown increasingly paranoid and had begun carrying a pistol and AR-15 everywhere he went – including the night of April 9, 2022.
During an interview with Texas Ranger BJ Hill after his arrest, Garrett Reeves claimed that he and his father were intoxicated when the shooting took place and that it was his father who first showed aggression that night.
He said he only fired after his father tried to take away his rifle.
Garrett’s mother Lora Reeves was the final witness called to the stand on Thursday.
She testified that her son had been diagnosed with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and carried the guns as a type of “security blanket.”
She said neither her son or husband had ever shown any type of violence toward one another.
To read other stories from this trial:
Day 1: Click here
Day 2: Click here
Day 3: Click here
