TEXARKANA, Texas–A man accused of murdering and sexually assaulting his girlfriend in 2017 has been cleared through a mental health evaluation as fit to face a jury.
Russell Ryan Soule, 34, is charged in Bowie County in two indictments, one of which accuses him of capital murder in the Sept. 15, 2017, death of Lindsey Torres and another that accuses him of sexually assaulting her on the same day.
At a pretrial hearing Monday, 202nd District Judge John Tidwell set Soule’s case for a December jury trial after noting that a mental health expert has determined Soule is competent, according to court staff. Judge Tidwell ordered the evaluation last year.
In March of last year, Soule allegedly asked police in Atlanta, Texas, for assistance in getting to a local emergency room, according to a probable cause affidavit. During the ride to the emergency room, Soule allegedly told an officer that he had killed Torres and allegedly admitted during a later interview with Atlanta police that he had strangled her and left her body in a bathtub full of water in their Wake Village, Texas, residence.
Soule allegedly admitted to having had anal sex with Torres on the day of her death, as well. When investigators with the Wake Village Police Dept. traveled to Atlanta to interview Soule about Torres’ death, he reportedly asked for a lawyer, ending his interrogation.
Investigators were suspicious after Torres’ death in 2017. Soule had called 911 and reported that he found his girlfriend unresponsive in the bathtub, which was full of water, according to the affidavit.
At autopsy, the medical examiner noted the presence of burst blood vessels in Torres’ eyes, which is indicative of strangling, however, the cause of her death was determined to be drowning with the manner of death ruled undetermined. Medical examiners typically enter a finding as to whether a person’s manner of death is from natural causes, an accident, suicide, undetermined, or homicide, which involves death at the hands of another person.
Also noted at autopsy was trauma to Torres’ anus, which could be indicative of sexual assault.
One of Soule’s indictments charges him with capital murder, first-degree murder and with manslaughter. The varying charges could allow prosecutors to argue for conviction on one charge, while allowing a jury the option of convicting of a lesser offense.
To convict Soule of capital murder, the jury must conclude that he was in the process of committing another felony when he caused Torres’ death.
A second indictment charges Soule with aggravated sexual assault allegedly committed on the day Torres was killed. Soule faces life without the possibility of parole if convicted of capital murder.
Soule is currently being held in the Bowie County jail with bond set at $2.75 million. Soule is represented by Texarkana lawyers Jeff Harrelson and John Delk.
Bowie County First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp and Assistant District Attorney Bradley Akins are representing the state.