Marvin Rodriguez was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The Tarrant County District Attorney's Office said Marvin Rodriguez was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The 20-year term was imposed after Rodriguez’s 2017 murder conviction, but that conviction did not stand. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals found that the trial court had erred by refusing requested jury instructions on self-defense and defense of another; on remand, a Fort Worth appeals court ruled the error caused harm and ordered a new trial. The appellate rulings concerned the jury instructions, not a finding that Rodriguez was innocent. The appeals court’s 2022 opinion explains the reversal.
Grapevine Police Credited for Case
The DA's office specifically thanked the Grapevine Police Department for its work on the case and for its commitment to keeping the community safe.
The case stemmed from a fatal fight during a tailgate outside a Dallas Cowboys game on Oct. 11, 2015. Rodriguez had been drinking with others when an argument escalated; he shot Richard Sells, who died four days later. After the new trial, a Tarrant County jury found Rodriguez guilty of manslaughter, and in July 2024 he received 10 years of probation instead of serving the original prison term. The 2024 disposition marked a different outcome from the original murder conviction and 20-year sentence.
The Tarrant County District Attorney's Office, which also maintains a presence on Facebook under District Attorney Phil Sorrells, announced the sentencing as part of its ongoing public updates on prosecuted cases.
