A Fort Worth man has been hit with a 35-year prison sentence after a Tarrant County jury convicted him of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in a 2022 apartment shooting that left his girlfriend’s son paralyzed. The 24-year-old victim was shot once in the back at a Fort Worth apartment complex on Aug. 14, 2022, and later returned to court to testify from a wheelchair during the trial. Jurors heard testimony and weighed the evidence before finding the defendant guilty, and the court imposed the sentence this week.
Jury Hands Down 35-Year Term
The defendant, identified in court records as Murphy Ward, was sentenced to 35 years in prison after a Tarrant County jury found him guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors David Elder and Matthew Mayfield tried the case, with investigator Bradley Gantt and victim coordinator Christina Rangel assisting during the proceedings.
In its public statement, the District Attorney’s Office also thanked the Fort Worth Police Department for its work on the investigation and for what it described as the officers’ commitment to keeping the community safe.
Victim’s Testimony and Courtroom Moments
During the sentencing phase, the victim, described as the girlfriend’s 24-year-old son, told jurors about the lasting impact of the shooting and the daily realities of living with paralysis. He testified from a wheelchair, describing life since he was shot in the back at the Fort Worth apartment complex on Aug. 14, 2022.
Assistant District Attorney David Elder told jurors that the man they saw on the stand was “a shadow of the man he was before the defendant shot him,” according to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office. The office’s account of the case notes that a single gunshot to the back left the victim paralyzed for life.
What the Law Says
Under Texas law, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon carries steep penalties. The offense can be enhanced to a first‑degree felony when the defendant causes catastrophic injury, including an injury that results in irreversible paralysis. That enhancement is outlined in Texas Penal Code §22.02, which allows significantly longer sentences when severe or permanent harm occurs.
The trial and sentencing took place in Tarrant County criminal court at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center in downtown Fort Worth.
Aftermath
The District Attorney’s Facebook post did not say whether Ward’s defense team plans to appeal the conviction or file any post‑conviction motions. The Fort Worth Police Department was again publicly thanked in the DA’s statement for its investigative work on the case.
