Texas Self-Defense: Woman acquitted in Round Rock shooting death of former Jasper man :: 09/08/2023

The Austin American Statesman is reporting that a jury in Williamson County has acquitted a woman on a murder charge in the June 2019 shooting death in Round Rock of a former Jasper man. Jurors found Ty’Esha Tanner not guilty of murdering 40-year-old Justin Silas.

Tanner’s defense attorneys painted a picture for jurors of Tanner shooting Silas in self-defense due to Silas being a very controlling person and subject to bursts of outrage.

During the trial, the report said that the defense brought forth Tanner’s friends who testified that Silas wouldn’t allow them to speak to her. They also testified that he had injured the family dog and it was feared that he would actually kill the dog.

Additionally, Tanner’s colleagues from the school where she was an educational assistant testified that Silas was very possessive and controlling and would go to the school if Tanner didn’t answer her phone, and he would stand at her classroom doorway.

The report also said that Silas had previously assaulted Tanner’s daughter, and as a result the child kept multiple sharpened pencils throughout her room for her own self-defense from him.

Following her arrest and murder charge in 2019, Tanner had to spend a year in Jail before she was finally able to make bond in 2020.

https://www.kjas.com/news/local_news/article_9f5cc3ce-4dbb-11ee-a95f-077b72c8cfeb.html