A Fort Bend County jury has convicted 77-year-old Barbara Blue of murder and sentenced her to 10 years in prison for fatally shooting her neighbor, Daryl Evans, following years of squabbling between the two. The retired nurse and Marine veteran was also acquitted of a separate aggravated assault charge connected to Evans's wife, closing out a case that took more than two years and two trials to resolve.
Blue shot and killed the 66-year-old Evans during a confrontation on June 27, 2024, in the Fort Bend Houston community, within the City of Houston and Fort Bend County, according to KHOU 11. Officers who responded to the shooting found Evans unresponsive in the street with multiple gunshot wounds, and he later died at a hospital, per KPRC Click2Houston.
Blue and Evans had reportedly feuded for years before the shooting, and the two sides have never agreed on what happened that night. Her defense team contended she shot Evans in self-defense during a heated confrontation, while Evans's family alleged, according to the same KPRC report, that Blue had a history of making threats toward Evans and his wife, indicating the shooting was premeditated rather than defensive.
A Second Trial After a Hung Jury
This was not Blue's first time facing a jury over Evans's death. The case marked a retrial after a previous jury failed to reach a verdict in 2025, Second Assistant District Attorney Wesley Wittig said. Wittig said getting justice for the victim and his family was paramount to prosecutors, adding that the victim's death was significant despite any compassion jurors might feel for an elderly defendant.
In the end, jurors convicted Blue of murder but acquitted her of aggravated assault involving Evans's wife. The sentencing came after jurors allowed a sudden-passion finding, a special circumstance that reduced Blue's potential prison exposure from up to life to no more than 20 years, the same report notes. She ultimately received the 10-year sentence under that reduced range.
Defense Points to Health, Promises to Keep Fighting
Defense attorney James Rivera said Blue shot a man who came toward her and frightened her, framing her actions as a response to fear rather than intent to kill. Rivera also said Blue may have early-onset dementia, telling reporters that a decade behind bars could effectively amount to a life sentence given her condition.
Blue's legal team said it plans to continue fighting for her and is pursuing additional remedies beyond the trial verdict, though the station's report did not detail what those remedies might involve. Evans's family declined to share their thoughts with the outlet this week.
Fort Bend County maintains public case records through its District Clerk's online court records search, where filings tied to the case may eventually be accessible as Blue's legal team pursues further action.
