CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Corpus Christi man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after being found guilty of killing his 83-year-old mother in 2021.
James O'Donnell, 55, was convicted by a jury in the 214th District Court for the death of his mother, Omayra O'Donnell. Before the jury could deliberate on punishment, O'Donnell agreed to a 40-year sentence, which waives his right to appeal. The victim's family agreed to the terms. The jury could have imposed a maximum sentence of life in prison.
On April 17, 2021, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers discovered O'Donnell in a vehicle near Lake Corpus Christi with his mother's body. A passerby had spotted the parked vehicle near brush along the roadside in Live Oak County and called 911.
According to his arrest report, O'Donnell confessed to killing his mother earlier that day at her home on the 400 block of Ashland Drive in Corpus Christi, near Seaside Cemetery.
A fire also occurred at the Ashland Drive residence on April 17. Capt. Mike Tressider of the Corpus Christi Fire Department stated that investigators examined the origin of the fire but did not release details due to the ongoing criminal investigation.
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