Texas man sentenced to 50 years in prison for murder of wife | News

SPRING, Texas — A 42-year-old man was sentenced this week to 50 years in prison for killing his wife at a relative's home in the spring of 2020, Harris County Prosecutor Kim Ogg announced.

“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.”

Ralph Leroy Cooper pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced Wednesday by a judge for fatally shooting Rhonda Rochelle Williams, 43, just before 9 p.m. on Aug. 25, 2020. Cooper, who lived in Rosharon with his wife and their children from 3 years. -an old son, had moved to Spring to live with relatives.

On the evening of the murder, Cooper was at the Spring home with the couple's child and other family members and asked his wife to come to the house. After she arrived, the two men began arguing and he chased her throughout the house with a gun. After she ran outside, he shot her several times, including once in the head.

He then fled the scene behind the wheel of a black Cadillac CTS with black rims. Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies responded and began investigating.

Cooper was later arrested and pleaded guilty to murder on the eve of his trial in January. After a hearing this week, he was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Assistant District Attorney Kelly Marshall, assigned to the DA's office's domestic violence division and who prosecuted Cooper, said Williams did everything she could to get away, which was captured on camera cameras. monitoring.