Rhonda Williams killed: Ralph Cooper sentenced to 50 years in prison for murdering his wife in 2020 at relative's home in spring

SPRING, Texas (KTRK) — A man will spend 50 years behind bars after pleading guilty Wednesday to murdering his wife nearly four years ago, according to Harris County Prosecutor Kim Ogg.

Ralph Leroy Cooper, 42, pleaded guilty to allegedly shooting his wife, Rhonda Rochelle Williams, 43, on August 25, 2020.

“No child should lose their mother to domestic violence, and that’s why we take any cases of violence against women so seriously,” Ogg said. “Violence is known to escalate, as in this case, where the defendant committed at least two other assaults before killing his intimate partner.”

Cooper, his wife and their three-year-old son had moved to Spring to live with family in Rosharon.

Cooper asked his wife to come home the night of the murder while he and the couple's child were at the Spring home. He chased her around the house with a gun after they argued. He shot her multiple times as she ran outside, once being shot in the head.

After that, he left in a black Cadillac CTS with black wheels. After arriving, Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies began their investigation.

On the eve of his trial in January, Cooper was subsequently taken into custody and pleaded guilty to murder.

Assistant District Attorney Kelly Marshall said Cooper had two prior convictions for assaulting two other women before marrying Williams.

Parole will not be granted until Cooper has served at least half of his sentence. His prison sentence could be extended depending on the charges against him in Brazoria County.