A Burnet County jury sentenced 38-year-old Justin Roberson to 40 years in prison for manslaughter after he drove over a hill into oncoming traffic in a no-passing zone on State Highway 71 and struck Shannan Burnette's vehicle head-on, killing the 58-year-old Horseshoe Bay woman as she drove home for dinner with her husband. The verdict followed a trial that stretched across testimony from a medical expert, an eyewitness, and Burnette's husband. Jurors convicted Roberson of manslaughter before handing down the four-decade sentence.
The crash and conviction were first detailed by KEYE, which reported that the case was prosecuted by Alicia Willoughby and Michael Walker. Burnette was killed on Highway 71 while returning to Horseshoe Bay, and according to Dignity Memorial, the fatal collision occurred on November 27, 2023, as she traveled home after a Thanksgiving holiday weekend. She is survived by her husband, Charles, her father, Dan, and her son, Randy, according to a GoFundMe page set up in her memory.
How Prior Felonies Turned a 20-Year Cap Into 40
Texas law ordinarily caps a manslaughter conviction well below the sentence Roberson received. Manslaughter under Texas Penal Code § 19.04 is defined as recklessly causing a person's death and is classified as a second-degree felony, carrying a standard punishment range of 2 to 20 years in prison along with a fine of up to $10,000, per the Saputo Toufexis law firm's overview of the statute.
Roberson's record changed that math. He had previously been convicted of burglary of a habitation and of felony assault of a family member, according to case testimony, and prior convictions enhanced his range of punishment. Under Texas Penal Code § 12.42, a second-degree felony is elevated to a first-degree felony punishment range of 5 to 99 years or life in prison once prosecutors prove a defendant has a qualifying prior felony conviction, the Law Office of Kevin Bennett explains. That enhancement gave the state room to seek — and the jury room to impose — a sentence twice the standard maximum for manslaughter alone.
Prosecutors and Family Speak to the Verdict
District Attorney Perry Thomas said the verdict demonstrates a commitment to work with law enforcement partners to bring justice for unlawful actions, and added that his office remains committed to prosecuting reckless or intoxicated driving cases that result in death or injury. Trial testimony included investigators from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Burnet County Sheriff's Office.
Prosecutor Alicia Willoughby offered a blunter framing of the stakes in the courtroom, saying everyone deserves to make it home to loved ones for dinner. Burnette had been doing exactly that when Roberson's vehicle crossed into her lane on Highway 71.
A Highway With a Troubled Safety Record
The fatal crash adds to a pattern of deadly wrecks and mounting official concern along the Highway 71 corridor in Burnet County. In May 2024, a separate head-on crash near State Highway 71 and County Road 401 in Marble Falls killed two people and forced emergency crews to shut down the highway in both directions for more than two hours, as Hoodline previously reported.
State transportation officials have taken notice of the corridor's crash rates. In April, the Texas Department of Transportation proposed a $243 million turbine interchange at U.S. 281 and State Highway 71 in Burnet County after agency data showed crash rates at the intersection running significantly higher than state averages for similar structures, according to KVUE. Nearby in Bee Cave, total annual collisions along the same highway climbed from 124 in 2019 to 151 in 2022, prompting a 6.4-mile median safety project that TxDOT estimates could cut crashes by up to 39%, per reporting from Community Impact.
Burnet County officials have pressed the state for faster action closer to home. In March, county leaders publicly called on TxDOT to implement urgent physical road upgrades along Texas 71 in Spicewood after a multi-pickup crash blocked traffic, documenting scene images to underscore the corridor's hazards.
Part of a Busy Stretch for Burnet County's Courts
Roberson's sentencing comes amid a string of notable outcomes from the 33rd & 424th Judicial District Attorney's Office. Last month, prosecutors secured a maximum 20-year sentence in a separate Burnet County jury trial over online child solicitation, a case Hoodline covered in detail. Earlier this month, the Burnet County Sheriff's Office also removed all of its fixed Flock Safety license plate reader cameras countywide after vandals repeatedly damaged the units, as Hoodline reported.
