Esaia Morris, 24, was convicted Nov. 27 for the murder of his roommate, Francisco Sierra. A Hays County court sentenced Morris to serve 75 years in prison and pay a $10,000 fine.
Sierra was found dead Feb. 5, 2016, in his apartment. He had been shot in the head through a pillow over his face.
Morris admitted to a co-worker the following day he murdered Sierra, then threw away the gun in a nearby pond. Police searched the pond, found the gun and matched it to the bullet wound.
When questioned, Morris confessed to the murder but could not give authorities a straight answer of how or why he murdered Sierra. Morris said the murder was caused due to a sudden passion after an unwanted sexual encounter with Sierra.
New evidence was given to the jury suggesting a different story. The evidence shows Morris had initiated the encounter but was showing signs of aggression for hours afterward. He then murdered Sierra.
The jury rejected Morris’s plea of a sudden passion after three hours of deliberation.