A Lamar County jury on Friday found 26-year old, Xavier Booker, guilty of six felonies stemming from a week-long crime spree and sentenced him to 99-years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, announced Lamar County District Attorney Gary Young.
In September, 2021, Booker and three co-defendants committed aggravated robberies against four different people, then shot at a car with two occupants, leaving one dead. Booker was the final member of the group to be sentenced and was convicted of murder, aggravated assault, and four counts of aggravated robbery.
“The citizens on this jury worked very hard to review the evidence, reach a verdict, and bring Booker to justice,” said Young. “We appreciate the message they sent to our community and their efforts to make our streets safer.”
During the guilt/innocence phase of the trial, jurors heard from Booker’s four surviving victims, as well as his co-defendants. The jury also received evidence from a crime lab analyst showing that a pistol stolen by Booker during his first aggravated robbery was used in the shooting. The pistol was eventually recovered in Oklahoma City, where Booker was arrested days after the murder. The jury also heard testimony from a Lamar County jail inmate who Booker had told details of the crime while awaiting trial.
“The testimony from the inmate contained details that were not even known to the State until just weeks before trial,” said First Assistant DA Benjamin Kaminar. During the punishment phase, the jury was presented with Booker’s history of violent crimes, including a sentence to the Texas Youth Commission and a previous prison sentence for Aggravated Assault. “The jury made the right decision to get Booker off the streets for as long as possible,” added Kaminar.
“We appreciate the hard work of the Paris Police Department, especially Detective Leigh Foreman,” said Young. “The assistance of the Oklahoma City Police Department was also critical to the case.”
The cases were all tried in the 6th District Court before Judge Wes Tidwell. Booker was prosecuted by Gary Young and Benjamin Kaminar; he was represented by Clay Johnson of Sulphur Springs. Booker must serve at least 30 years of his sentence before being eligible for parole consideration.
