Houston man receives 36-year sentence for murder of transgender girlfriend
HOUSTON - Joshua Dominic Lege Bourgeois, 29, has been handed a 36-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to the murder of his girlfriend, Tracy Williams, four years ago
The incident happened on July 30, 2019, on the frontage road of the Katy Freeway in the Memorial area.
DOWNLOAD THE FOX 26 HOUSTON APP BY CLICKING HERE
During this time, Bourgeois was homeless and engaged in an escalating argument with his girlfriend.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that the couple had been engaged in a dispute earlier that day, during which Williams had expressed her intention to end the relationship.
SUGGESTED: Wanted Harris County murder suspect shot, killed by police near Third Ward
Bourgeois repeatedly stabbed Williams as they walked along the road, according to surveillance footage. He then abandoned her in the parking lot of a nearby automotive shop and went to a McDonald's drive-thru, where he bought a drink.
Desperate to leave the area, Bourgeois approached several drivers in the drive-thru lane, seeking assistance, but his pleas for help were repeatedly denied.
Subsequently, he left the scene, leaving Williams dead.
SUGGESTED: 3 suspects sought during crazy jewelry store robbery on Greens Road
Police responded to calls regarding the discovery of Williams' body, launching a thorough investigation that ultimately resulted in Bourgeois being charged with murder.
Assistant District Attorney Stephany Abner, who leads the DA's Domestic Violence Division, prosecuted the case. In a statement following the sentencing, Abner highlighted the complexities of the relationship between Bourgeois and Williams.
"They were in an on-and-off dating relationship, and it was a situation in which she was ready to leave an abusive relationship and was tragically murdered," Abner stated. "He was part of the homeless community, and she was part of the transgender community, and this shows that no one is exempt from the dangers of intimate partner violence."