SAN ANTONIO – A man initially charged with capital murder in connection with the July 2020 murder of a 19-year-old woman received a plea deal for a lesser charge on Wednesday.
Kyle Phillips, 21, was in a Bexar County courtroom when Judge Velia Meza sentenced him to 30 years in prison and ordered him to pay a $2,000 fine for murder, with credit for time served.
Phillips pleaded guilty to killing 19-year-old Jasmine Williams on July 14, 2020, in her West Side home.
Jasmine Williams (KSAT)
San Antonio Police said Williams’ two kids, both under the age of 2, were home at the time.
Phillips is one of seven co-defendants originally charged with capital murder for the crime.
Court records show that the charge was dismissed for Phillips and Dorian Murphree in February 2023.
Bexar County Assistant Criminal District Attorney Jeff Mulliner said the case against Phillips was reinstated in May.
John Fahle, Phillips’ attorney, said the deal given to his client was justice.
“We have always thought that our client might have had some culpability but didn’t believe this was capital murder or that he should have been charged with capital murder in the first place,” Fahle said.
Mulliner said he was satisfied with the deal.
“From our perspective, this was a victory and one that we’re pleased to be a part of,” he said.
A loved one of Williams told KSAT he was not happy with the deal, adding that he felt like there was laziness from the district attorney’s office and a lack of manpower to prosecute properly.
“I just disagree,” said Mulliner. “I mean, there was — there was a high level of motivation and desire to achieve a just result within the context of this tragic and horrible crime.”
Phillips was also convicted of two unrelated felonies — assaulting a peace office and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Judge Mesa sentenced him to 20 years for each charge and said they run concurrently with the murder sentence.
Related: