Man accused of murdering wife dies during court appearance
Published at
HOUSTON — A Texas man who admitted to killing his wife during a 911 call last year collapsed and died in court Friday, just before he was set to be sentenced.
James Anderson, a former special education teacher, was expected to receive a 35-year prison term after pleading guilty to the 2023 murder of his wife, Victoria Anderson. But shortly after arriving at Houston’s 208th District Court, he suffered a medical emergency, prosecutors said in a news release.
A bailiff administered naloxone before paramedics rushed him to Ben Taub Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:05 a.m. An autopsy will determine the cause of death.
Victoria Anderson was killed on Sept. 24, 2023, after she called 911 saying her husband was threatening to shoot her. Dispatchers reportedly heard a gunshot moments later.
Police arrived at the couple’s Kingwood home, where James refused to come out but released the pair’s 3-year-old son. After an hours-long standoff, officers entered and found Victoria dead from a gunshot wound. Their child was taken to a hospital and later released.
James Anderson, who chaired the special education department at Santa Fe Middle School, had been on administrative leave since his arrest. He was free on a $300,000 bond before Friday’s court hearing.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office said the investigation into his sudden death remains ongoing.