Irion County Woman Pleads Guilty to 2015 Murder

SAN ANGELO, TX -- Tina Pauline Chappell appeared in an unscheduled court hearing Thursday afternoon to take a plea deal on a first degree murder charge sending her to prison for 20 years.

Chappell was facing 5 to 99 years or life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 for the shooting death of 50-year-old Roger Allen Fletcher in November of 2015.  Fletcher was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds laying in a street in Mertzon. Chappell, now 47, was arrested the same day and has remained in the Tom Green County Jail ever since.  

As we reported earlier, Chappell was found not competent to stand trial by a psychologist due to emotional and mental issues.  Defense attorney Randol Stout told District Judge Barbara Walther Thursday that Dr. Jarvis Wright had re-examined Chappell and found her to be competent to stand trial.  

Judge Walther accepted the plea deal offered by District Attorney Allison Palmer.  The judge told Chappell that by pleading guilty to murder with a finding that a deadly weapon was used, in this case a firearm, that she would have to serve half of her sentence before becoming eligible for parole.  In addition to the 20 years in prison, Chappell was ordered to pay $2,195 in restitution.  

The victim’s mother was allowed to read a victim impact statement to the court after Chappell was sentenced.  She told Chappell that a lot had happened since the shooting in 2015 and that she and her family forgave Chappell.  “Thank you Tina for not making me relive this tragic event over again at a jury trial.” The jury trial had been set for later this month.    

Judge Walther told the woman that her statement was one of the most touching she had ever heard.  

As Chappell was being escorted back to jail, the victim’s mother spoke to her in the courtroom.  She said that someday she would like to get to know Tina and maybe they could even become friends.