An assistant Bowie County district attorney said Monday that the state will not seek the death penalty for a woman accused of killing a Texarkana, Texas, man in 2012 and fleeing to Mexico.
Alana Coleman, 39, appeared before 5th District Judge Bill Miller on Monday. Coleman was arrested in Mexico in October by U.S. Marshals on a charge of capital murder involving the Aug. 12, 2012, stabbing of Donald Ray Morris.
Assistant District Attorney Katie Carter announced Monday that the state will not seek the death penalty for Coleman. The only other punishment for capital murder is life without parole.
Miller appointed Texarkana attorney Butch Dunbar to represent Coleman. The case is set for arraignment Feb. 22.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Morris’ body was found by police after a manager at the Redwood Apartments at 3400 W 7th Street noticed a broken window with blood on it and blood on the front door of Morris’ apartment. A pair of broken scissors and a broken knife were collected from the scene.
Neighbors of Morris’ reported seeing him the afternoon of his death. They also reported seeing a car Coleman was known to drive when she was allegedly at the complex working as a prostitute. A sample of DNA collected at the crime scene is allegedly a match to Coleman’s DNA and a camera with nude photos of Coleman was allegedly collected as evidence from the crime scene.
In addition to the Capital Murder charge, Coleman also had warrants for Probation Violation/Possession of Controlled Substance and Failure to Appear for a misdemeanor theft charge. Her bond is set at $1 million.
