Richard Garza, a 30-year-old man from Amarillo, Texas, tragically died on December 17, 2019. He was found slumped over in his car at Southeast Park on South Osage Street, with what appeared to be gunshot wounds. The Amarillo Police Department launched an investigation into his death, treating it as a homicide.
After months of investigation, police arrested Mollie Kristina Franklin, also known as Kristina Williams, on June 16, 2020.
She was indicted by a Randall County grand jury on a murder charge in connection with Garza's death. The trial revealed that Garza was shot multiple times in the early morning of his 30th birthday before being left in his car until a passerby discovered him the next day. The murder weapon was later found in Medi Park Lake by a citizen who turned it over to the police.
Franklin was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 60 years in prison without the possibility of parole for 30 years. The case highlighted the importance of community involvement in solving crimes, as the discovery of the murder weapon by a citizen was crucial to securing the conviction.
Richard Garza's death was a tragic event that shook the Amarillo community, and the subsequent investigation and trial brought some measure of justice for his family and friends.
