Pepperdine Pleads Guilty

Jason Pepperdine swayed back and forth nervously with his hands shackled before him as he answered a series of questions from 452^nd District Judge Rob Hofmann with “yes, sir”. After he’d finished, his attorney, Stephanie Goodman, noted that he’d written letters of apology to the victim’s family and turned them over to the DA.

Ten months and 13 days after he’d been booked into the McCulloch County last new year’s eve, Pepperdine had confessed his guilt to one of two second-degree felony charges he was up against and taken a sentence six years short of the max.

In the gallery, family of 22-year-old Jaclyn Proctor had shown up in number to view the hearing, all relieved that it was finally over. Pepperdine was set to go to trial in six days; Tuesday was meant to be his final pre-trial hearing.

In her victim impact statement after the plea, Proctor’s mother emphasized the brutality of the decisions Pepperdine made on Dec. 31 resulting in her daughter’s death.

“It would have been more understandable and easier to accept if it was just a wreck that killed our daughter, but it was your actions that left us believing you are truly a monster,” Jaclyn’s mother said. “Instead of doing the right thing and helping her, calling for help, administering aide, making sure she was warm and cared for, you chose to remove her from your truck and leave her body in that ditch hidden.”

The drunken crash that night was phoned into McCulloch County dispatch by two friends who were following Pepperdine and Proctor in another truck on the way to a party. Pepperdine was located at his house by Sgt. Steve Jones of the TxDPS after that call, who also found a pile of bloody clothes in the entry to Pepperdine’s trailer home in Rochelle. Proctor’s body was discovered later.

Initially, Pepperdine was charged with intoxication manslaughter; however, when Proctor’s body was located, two more charges were added to the bill: failing to render aid in an accident involving death and tampering with or altering physical evidence. Pepperdine was indicted on the latter of the two in February; at the time of his plea, the intoxication manslaughter charge was pending, but was dismissed as along with the failure to render aid charge as part of the deal. He was sentenced to 14 years.

Proctor has a 3-year-old son who is now growing up without her. The victim’s mother relayed how difficult it has been to tell her grandson that his mother is never coming home. She said that at first, Bryce thought his mother was lost. Now, the little boy realizes she’s gone and misses her, his grandmother said, staring at the man who took her daughter away.

“We talk to him about his momma and share pictures with him,” she said. “He will take the pictures and touch her face, rubbing his little hand all over her face, and he will say, ‘I love my momma, and I miss her so much.’ Our grandson will grow up without his momma because of you. He will never have brothers or sisters because of you. He will still get the love, support and protection without his momma, but it’s just not the same.”

Proctor’s mother highlighted the relationship her daughter had with each of her close relatives, sharing a bit from each that will never be restored. She likened Pepperdine to an animal and asked that he think of Jaclyn every time he sees the colors turquoise and black, which are her favorite, or when he sees twins, because she was one. She said she hoped he thought of her when he sees children playing sports she’ll never see her son watch, or when he hears church bells because Jaclyn was strong in faith.

“We have no doubt that Jaclyn is heaven,” her mother said, asking Pepperdine to think of her when he sees the moon and stars.

“Jay,” she said in closing, “I have never seen any remorse from you, and today I have…May god bless you, Jay.”

Pepperdine, who was facing Jaclyn’s mother and father as she read forth the statement, broke down and cried when it was done. “I’m so sorry,” he said. Then he was escorted out of the building and back to the McCulloch County Jail.