Katie Palmer

Was this beloved teacher's untimely death covered up?
Katie Palmer was a beloved 38-year-old middle school science teacher, a wife to her husband John, and a mother to their two children, Brandon and Bella. A white woman with a deep love for nature and science, she was remembered by her husband as "amazing, beautiful inside and out." Katie was a volunteer at the Hagerman Wildlife Refuge, where she started and taught children's programs. Her passion for ornithology, which she studied in college, was something she shared with her family. In her memory, her loved ones described her as a person who left a lasting impact on everyone she met. Even in death, her generosity continued; as an organ donor, Katie was able to save seven lives through life-saving transplants.

The morning of April 21, 2020, was the first and last time Katie would join her husband for his routine morning walk. At her request the night before, John woke her up to join him. Around 8 a.m., the couple was walking along Glenwood Drive, a two-lane road near their home in Denison, Texas. They were heading east, walking alongside the roadway, when a Ford F-250 pickup truck driven by their neighbor, Cory Foster, crossed over the center line and struck them from behind. The impact threw them yards and knocked them out of their shoes. John suffered a broken back but managed to crawl over to his wife, who was unresponsive. Katie sustained blunt-force trauma to her head and was airlifted to a hospital in Plano. She died from her injuries in the early hours of April 22, 2020.

At the scene, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper noted a strong smell of alcohol on Cory Foster's breath. Foster told the officer he had his last drink at 7 p.m. the previous night and claimed his vision was obscured by a foggy windshield and sun glare, stating, "I just couldn’t see because the glare was so bad. Which, I shouldn’t have driven." He passed a field sobriety test and a portable breathalyzer test, blowing a .06, which is below the .08 legal limit for intoxication in Texas. Because he passed these tests, officers did not seek a warrant for a blood draw, which would have been admissible in court. A trooper drove Foster home from the scene.

The initial investigation led to frustration for the Palmer family. In August 2020, a Grayson County grand jury heard three hours of testimony but declined to indict Foster on charges of manslaughter or criminal negligence. The district attorney's office presented the case to the grand jury a second time, but they again declined to reconsider. For years, Katie's family, led by her husband John and mother Rhonda Nail, spearheaded the "Justice for Katie Palmer" movement, creating a large online following and advocating for legal changes. They believed the case had been mishandled from the beginning and that the district attorney, Brett Smith, had a conflict of interest, as he had previously represented a member of Foster's family.

The family's relentless efforts led to significant change. They successfully lobbied for the passage of House Bill 558, which became known as "Colton's Law." Signed into law in 2021, it requires a mandatory blood test for any motorist who causes an accident resulting in serious injury or death to a pedestrian in Texas. "We owe it to her memory to fix this," Katie's mother said. "And we owe it to other people to fix this. No one should ever have to go through it." In addition to their legal advocacy, the family established The Katie Palmer Project, a charitable initiative that provides Christmas lights for families experiencing hardship and a closet with clothes for students in need. The Hagerman Wildlife Refuge also dedicated an education pavilion in her honor.

After years of public pressure and political change in Grayson County, the legal landscape of the case shifted dramatically. In October 2025, more than five years after Katie's death, a grand jury indicted Cory Foster on a charge of manslaughter, and he was arrested. John Palmer reflected on the long journey, saying, "It seemed like we were screaming into the wind for 5 1/2 years." The new district attorney, John Kermit Hill, recused his office from the prosecution due to the appearance of a conflict of interest, but expressed that he was "pleased that a jury will be able to hear the case."

As of April 2026, the case is proceeding through the criminal justice system. A trial date for Cory Foster has been set for February 8, 2027. The Palmer family also filed a civil lawsuit against Foster. Reflecting on the six-year anniversary of his wife's death, John Palmer said, "Six years of never stopping, of always fighting for Katie. It’s a testament to what a truly great person she was." The fight for justice continues, now with a clear path forward in the courts.