A Fort Worth jury took only thirty minutes to decide the fate of James Earnest Floyd Jr. on April 20. The convicted felon was sentenced to life in prison for beating, shooting, and robbing an elderly couple in 2017, according to a press release from the Fort Worth District Attorney’s Office.
James Floyd is facing an additional capital murder charge in relation to the robbery.
Floyd had been accused of breaking into the home of John and Diane Porter on March 28, 2017. He used a metal table leg to beat John, 69, before shooting him in the head. Floyd also shot Diane, 69, in the stomach before stealing the couple’s ATM card and their Kia SUV. He threatened to return if the PIN for the card Diane gave him was incorrect.
Floyd elected to represent himself in the trial, claiming that he was innocent and that Assistant Criminal District Attorney Lisa Callaghan and the district attorney’s office fabricated the physical evidence that linked James Floyd to the crime, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Prosecutors presented hair found in the couple’s Kia Sorrento that matched Floyd, the firearm used in the crime linked to Floyd, and Floyd’s car, located near the Porters’ home. Prosecutors additionally submitted the SUV he stole from the Porters, found near his home in Terrell, Texas.
Diane was able to call 911 after hearing the couple’s SUV leave their home. John succumbed to his injuries in an area hospital 9 days after the attack. Diane recovered from her injuries and testified in court against Floyd, whom she had identified to law enforcement as the person responsible for the attack.
Police state that the attack was a crime of opportunity. James Floyd had no connection to the Porters and only happened to be in the area after meeting with a person he had a sexual relationship with.
Floyd’s car was found about a half-mile from the Porters’ home with a flat tire on the day of the robbery. He tried to use the stolen ATM card in Terrell, but the PIN Diane gave him was incorrect.
Floyd was previously convicted of aggravated rape and aggravated robbery in 1983 in Kaufman County. He was released from prison in 2011. The jury used his previous conviction as a factor in determining his sentence.
“It cannot be remedied,” Callaghan said to the jury. “It’s time for [the Porters] to have some justice.”
“You know what the proper sentence is — it’s life,” she added. “It’s nothing more and nothing less than what he deserves.”
Floyd is facing a separate charge due to the death of John Porter. That matter is currently held up due to an appeal after procedural errors. The court’s inability to seat a full jury led to Floyd successfully arguing that he was potentially facing double jeopardy after the trial court declared a mistrial. He was granted a conditional appeal on March 23 to allow the appellate court an opportunity to review the case.
Police issued a warrant for his arrest following Diane’s phone call. Floyd was arrested on the day of the robbery while leaving his residence in Terrell. Police claim that James Floyd had reportedly kidnapped a man at gunpoint on March 26 but later released him, the Fort Worth District Attorney’s Office said.