Jury convicts Tracy Marie Samuel of murder; sentences her to 30 years in Texas Department of Criminal Justice

A Jefferson County jury found defendant Tracy Marie Samuel guilty of murder and in a subsequent punishment phase assessed a 30-year term in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice with no fine. The judge accepted the jury’s punishment verdict and sentenced Samuel to 30 years, to be served in the institutional division; she was remanded to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department pending transfer to TDCJ.

The verdict: After closing arguments, the jury returned a unanimous verdict that the defendant was guilty of murder as charged in the indictment (Cause No. 23, DCCR 1793). The trial record shows the foreperson confirmed the verdict was unanimous and handed the verdict to the bailiff.

Punishment phase and testimony: During the punishment phase, the state called Marilyn Renee Lewis, the victim’s sister, who described the impact of Delbert Charles Lewis’s death on the family and urged the jury to impose the maximum sentence. The defense called a witness identified variously in the transcript as Captain Field (the court record also shows the defense called “Kathy Beal”); that witness described the defendant as a person who had sought treatment for drug problems and asked the jury to show mercy.

Arguments: Defense counsel argued that Samuel’s long history of substance use and reported intoxication at the time of the event undercut proof of intentional conduct, asking jurors to consider mercy and the possibility of rehabilitation. The defense stated on the record that the defendant had been drug-free for about 15 months before trial and urged a lesser sentence or rehabilitation options. The prosecutor emphasized facts from the evidence—placement of the victim in the bed, the location of a handgun on the nightstand, and video and investigative exhibits—and argued the shooting was an intentional or knowing act that justified a substantial prison term. The prosecutor noted the Lewis family’s loss and asked the jury to hold the defendant accountable.

Record details: The judge gave the jury the statutory instructions and punishment-range guidance required under Texas law, including the range for a murder conviction (5–99 years or life) and advisories about parole eligibility. The jury selected punishment of 30 years’ imprisonment and no fine. After the jury returned its unanimous punishment verdict, the judge imposed sentence in conformity with the jury’s verdict, ordered the defendant remanded for transport to TDCJ and provided the defendant with the court’s certification and a written admonishment about firearms possession ineligibility under Texas law.

Why it matters: The jury’s finding of guilt on the murder charge and the 30-year term will result in a multi-decade period of incarceration under TDCJ, affecting the defendant, the victim’s family and local public safety and criminal-justice stakeholders.

What the record does and does not show: The transcript includes defense claims that Detective Holmes could not state the shooting was intentional and defense argument that intoxication affected memory and intent; the prosecutor argued evidence supported intentional or knowing conduct. The transcript records the verdicts and sentencing; it does not include any post-trial appeals or motions recorded on the transcript.