San Leon man gets 40 years in beating death of girlfriend

GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas - A Glaveston County man was sentenced to four decades behind bars for the 2021 beating death of his girlfriend.

William Glenn Herron, 57, was found guilty of murder on Oct. 11 for the death of Mary Elizabeth Hyman.

The court on Tuesday sentenced Herron to 40 years in prison. Prosecutors had asked the court for a life sentence.

The Galveston County Sheriff's Office responded to a disturbance at a trailer in San Leon in April 2021. Deputies left, believing nothing happened, prosecutors said.

The next morning, deputies returned to the home after Herron called 911 saying he believed Hyman was dead.

Deputies found Hyman on the floor of the home with blunt force injuries on her head and face with blood, pulled hair and other signs of a struggle.

Herron was indicted in August 2021.

During the October 2024 trial, prosecutors showed text messages and video surveillance of Herron stalking Hyman before her death.

The defense argued Hyman was either killed by an unknown person or from a series of accidental falls.

The jury deliberated for just over an hour before returning a guilty verdict.