Matthew Liggins, a 28-year-old African American male, was tragically shot to death on April 17, 2018, while sitting in his car on the 1000 block of Juarez Street in Wichita Falls, Texas. The incident occurred in the early morning hours, and Liggins was found in the driver's seat of a Jeep with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.
The investigation into Liggins' death led to the arrest of two suspects. Eric Glenn Lee II, a 22-year-old African American male, was arrested several hours after the shooting at a residence on Gladiolus Street. Lee was initially charged with capital murder and held in the Wichita County Jail on a $2 million bond. The capital murder charge was due to the allegation that Lee stole a bag of drugs during the commission of the murder. However, Lee later accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to 45 years in prison for murder. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Lee could become eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence.
A second suspect, Precious Nicole Tillery, a 19-year-old African American female, was also arrested in connection with Liggins' murder. Tillery was charged with capital murder and held in the Wichita County Jail on a $2 million bond. According to court documents, a witness identified both Lee and Tillery as the individuals involved in the shooting. The witness stated that Liggins had driven to an apartment and contacted Lee, who then approached the Jeep, demanded that Liggins hand over everything, and subsequently opened fire when Liggins claimed he had nothing to give. Lee then grabbed a drawstring bag from the Jeep and fled the scene.
The case against Tillery was later dismissed when the grand jury declined to indict her. The plea deal for Lee was reached after discussions with Liggins' family, who wanted to avoid the pain of a trial. Chief Felony Prosecutor Dobie Kosub stated that the family felt justice was served with the plea agreement, as it allowed them to avoid the emotional toll of a lengthy trial process.
