Andrew Williams found guilty of capital murder of Martha Medina in Harris County in 2021
HOUSTON - A man has been found guilty of capital murder in the death of a 71-year-old woman who was run over outside a McDonald’s in east Harris County in 2021.
BACKGROUND: Woman run over during purse-snatching in east Harris County
The trial for Andrew Williams, 41, began last week, and the jury returned the verdict on Monday. The judge sentenced him to life in prison without parole.
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Williams was accused for his role in the death of Martha Medina on Sept. 23, 2021.
The Harris County Sheriffs Office investigates after a woman was run over on Uvalde.
The sheriff's office said Medina was in the parking lot of the restaurant in the 400 block of Uvalde Road when she was robbed of her purse and then run over.
Williams was arrested and charged about two weeks later. He was out on bond at the time for a previous capital murder charge.
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Family members on both sides cried when the jury foreman announced Williams' capital murder sentencing.
Then Williams himself stood up and spoke directly to the Medina family.
Showing compassion for the man now convicted of murdering her mother, Lourdes Medina says she feels grateful to finally have justice.
"I felt for him, honestly, at that moment," she said.
"I felt a lot of relief because I’ve been carrying so much pain. It's been very hard to put on a strong face," said the grieving daughter while choking back tears.
After three hours of deliberating, the guilty verdict was announced, and Williams stood in the courtroom, apologizing to the Medina family, saying how he behaved wasn’t how he was raised.
"I also feel for his family," Lourdes said. "They’re essentially going to suffer the same things that we’re going through. They’re going to grieve in a different way. My heart is heavy for them."
"You know, a lot of folks that are 'caught up' have a good side, and they have a side that they struggle with," Williams' Attorney Arthur Washington said. "As you heard from his own words his mother didn’t raise him like this."
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"I felt some sincerity coming from him when he apologized, and I pray to God in time I can forgive him," Lourdes added.
Williams is now sentenced to life in prison without parole. His attorney says he will appeal. When Medina was murdered, Williams was already out of jail on bond for a different Capital Murder.