Deontray Flanagan, a Houston man, has been convicted of capital murder following a disturbing episode that ended the life of his two-year-old daughter, Zevaya, during a police chase and standoff in March 2023. After a few hours of deliberation, jurors delivered their verdict, according to KHOU 11.
The altercation began when Flanagan reportedly confronted the toddler's mother, Kairsten Watson, at her workplace at Walmart prior to abducting Zevaya from daycare. The ensuing chase, which escalated into a SWAT standoff, saw Flanagan evading police. Prosecutors stated that throughout the 45-minute pursuit, Zevaya was beaten and strangled by her father. "I know in her mind she probably was just like, 'What did I do?'" and "Why are you doing this to me? Like, I love you, why are you hurting me?'" Watson told KHOU 11 in 2023.
Flanagan's sentencing was handed down nearly two years after the tragic events, as reported by ABC13, sentencing him to life without the possibility of parole. During the standoff, Watson and Zevaya's grandmother tried to negotiate with Flanagan over FaceTime, witnessing Zevaya's distress. Watson recalled telling him to stop, pleading on behalf of her daughter's wellbeing, but to no avail.
In the courtroom, emotional statements highlighted Zevaya's vibrant character. "Her smile could light up anyone's darkest days," Kairsten Watson said, as per a report by KHOU. Curtis Watson, Zevaya’s grandfather, who also witnessed the event via video call, added, "You may have taken last breath, but you cannot kill her spirit, her memory, or her name," during his statement in court.
The tragedy has also refocused attention on the police response to Watson's prior calls for help, which raised concerns about Flanagan's behavior days before the murder. Despite Watson's warnings and Flanagan's criminal history, there was a determined lack of preventive intervention. In addition to the conviction, there have been questions about potential missed opportunities to avert the fatal outcome. The Harris County Sheriff's Office reportedly responded to calls at Watson's home before the incident but did not detain Flanagan, citing insufficient evidence to file charges at the time, as mentioned by ABC13.
In a disturbing twist during his trial, Flanagan lunged at a KHOU 11 photojournalist's camera, prompting sheriff's deputies to intervene. The photographer was unharmed, and the situation was swiftly contained. Jurors convened not long after to deliberate Flanagan's fate, ultimately deciding on a guilty verdict for the capital murder charge.
