Priscilla Renee Calderon

Priscilla Renee Calderon, a 21-year-old Caucasian woman known for her outgoing personality, was remembered by loved ones as someone who deeply loved her family and would do anything to help a person in need. A graduate of Travis High school in Austin, Texas, her life was cut short by a violent encounter on the night of July 18, 2007.

The tragic chain of events began with what Priscilla believed was a drug deal. She and a car full of her friends met Larry Alexander at a Walmart on Ben White Boulevard in Austin to purchase cocaine that she intended to resell. However, Priscilla quickly realized the drugs Alexander was offering were fake and she called off the deal. At the suggestion of his accomplice, Paul Villareal, Alexander followed Priscilla and her friends as they drove away.

Their car was tracked to the Longhorn Station apartments, a complex near East Riverside Drive in Southeast Austin. There, Alexander approached the vehicle and, at gunpoint, attempted to snatch Priscilla's purse. She resisted and began to hit him. In the ensuing struggle, Alexander backed away and fired a single, fatal shot. Priscilla was struck and killed inside her car.

The Austin Police Department's homicide unit immediately began an investigation, but their efforts were hampered by a prevalent "stop snitching" culture among potential witnesses. At a news conference following the killing, Homicide Sgt. Jessica Robledo noted that fear of being labeled a snitch was delaying progress in the case. Despite the initial reluctance of witnesses to come forward, the investigation soon identified Alexander and Villareal as the primary suspects. About a week after the shooting, Paul Villareal was arrested on unrelated drug charges. On July 23, 2007, Larry Alexander surrendered to the police. Both men were initially charged with capital murder.

The case concluded not with a trial, but with plea bargains that sparked outrage and controversy. In October 2008, Larry Alexander, then 22, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. His co-defendant, 25-year-old Paul Villareal, pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and received a 17-year sentence. Under the terms of their sentences, Alexander would be eligible for parole after serving twelve and a half years, and Villareal after eight and a half.

The announcement of the plea deals caused a melee in the courtroom. Upon hearing the 25-year sentence for Alexander, Priscilla's devastated family members, numbering around 30, began yelling, and several tried to get past the courtroom railing. The chaotic scene required sheriff's deputies to use pepper spray to clear the room and physically restrain multiple family members, two of whom were arrested for disorderly conduct.

The detectives who led the investigation were also deeply critical of the outcome. Homicide Sgt. Hector Reveles and Detective Richard Faithful publicly stated their frustration with the Travis County District Attorney's office, asserting that the sentences were too lenient and that they had not been consulted before the plea offers were made. "We could have gotten so much more on this guy, and he deserved a whole lot more," Sgt. Reveles said. He and Faithful believed they had a strong capital murder case, stating, "The suspect just simply tried to grab her purse, and when she resisted, he shot and killed her. That by state law is clearly capital murder."

A prosecutor, Bill Bishop, defended the plea agreements. He expressed regret for not contacting the detectives but maintained the deals were appropriate given the evidence. He argued that proving Alexander's intent to kill could have been difficult because there was evidence of a struggle over the gun. He also speculated that a jury might have given a lighter sentence anyway, factoring in that Priscilla had initiated a drug deal. Priscilla's family had reportedly ceased communication with prosecutors earlier in the year when they were informed the death penalty would not be pursued. The case is now considered closed, with both men having been sentenced for their roles in the death of Priscilla Calderon.