SAN MARCOS, Texas — On Friday, 26-year-old An-Drew Stephen Jones was convicted of murder in the 2019 killing of Nicholas White in San Marcos. He'll serve a 65-year sentence.
White, 22, was shot and killed in the parking lot of Uptown Square apartments on April 5, 2019. Witnesses on the scene said saw a man wearing a yellow shirt and smoking on the scene while he was apparently waiting on someone.
When White arrived at his home, officials said the shooter approached him with a firearm saying, "Where's my money?"
After White replied with, "Are you going to shoot me?", the gunman reportedly fired at least eight times before jumping into a silver SUV and fleeing the scene.
San Marcos police investigators found spent shell casings and bullets on the scene, along with a cigarette but left behind from the shooter. Surveillance footage from the gated entrance also showed a Nissan Rogue had entered the parking lot by following a resident through an automated gate. Police later learned the Rogue had been rented by Jones.
Police said they learned that Jones owned a gun of the same caliber as the one used in the fatal shooting. His phone was tracked through electronic records as having traveled to Uptown Square and then leaving around the same time as the shooting before returning home.
After searching his residence, police found an empty case containing a receipt for the gun. Police also found a yellow shirt and a holster that had been thrown in the trash. The holster contained a magazine filled with cartridges of the same make and caliber as those found at the crime scene.
Police also searched the Rogue found on scene at Jones' residence. Police said they discovered White's blood on the car, as well as gunshot residue on the steering wheel and gearshift.
The trial by jury began on July 5 and ended on July 14. At the sentencing hearing on Friday, officials said Jones admitted he had shot and killed White, claiming he owed him money on a drug purchase.
“This was a senseless act that took the life of a young man who had everything to look forward to,” said Hays County Criminal District Attorney Wes Mau. “Nothing we can do will balance the scales in a case like this, but I hope Nick’s family can move forward knowing that, in the end, justice was done for Nick.”
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