Eastland County sheriff's deputy killed, suspect charged with capital murder

Trish Choate and Ronald W. Erdrich, USA TODAY NETWORK
Updated ·2 min read
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Eastland County sheriff's Deputy David Bosecker who was killed in the line of duty Friday while responding to a domestic disturbance July 21, 2023.
Eastland County sheriff's Deputy David Bosecker who was killed in the line of duty Friday while responding to a domestic disturbance July 21, 2023.

An Eastland County sheriff's deputy was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic dispute Friday evening, and a suspect was taken into custody, according to details in a media release.

Deputy David Bosecker was killed by gunfire, and a suspect has been charged with capital murder.

Deputies with the Eastland County Sheriff's Office responded to a domestic fight in progress about 9 p.m. Friday at a home on State Highway 183 between Cisco and Rising Star.

Bosecker was first on scene and immediately came under fire from the suspect. He was struck and fatally wounded.

Other units arriving apprehended the suspect. No one else was injured. The suspect was taken to Stephens County Jail and charged.

The Texas Rangers are leading this active investigation, according to the media release from the Eastland County Sheriff's Office. The name of the suspect was not listed in the press release.

A blue ribbon is tied around a pecan tree outside the Eastland County Courthouse in memory of slain Eastland County Sheriff’s Deputy David Bosecker Saturday July 22, 2023.
A blue ribbon is tied around a pecan tree outside the Eastland County Courthouse in memory of slain Eastland County Sheriff’s Deputy David Bosecker Saturday July 22, 2023.

However, Cody Douglas Pritchard, 42, was booked into Stephens County Jail on Saturday and charged with capital murder of a peace officer, according to online jail records. No bond amount was showing as set.

Capital murder is punishable by life in prison without parole or the maximum punishment — the death penalty. Anyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

Bosecker is the second Eastland County deputy to die in the line of duty since March last year.

Deputy Barbara Fenley died in March 2022 trying to save lives from the Eastland Complex of wildfires that hit the Big Country, according to a previous Abilene Reporter-News story. .

Bosecker was in law enforcement over 21 years and was a master peace officer.

He began his law enforcement career in the Wise County Sheriff's Office as a deputy and then transitioned to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

He would later become a game warden for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and an officer for the Comanche Police Department.

Bosecker finally ended up at Eastland County SO as a deputy in 2021, and he also worked part time for the Cisco Police Department as a marine enforcement officer.

Check back with www.reporternews.com for more on this developing story.

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Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News in Wichita Falls, covers education, courts, breaking news, investigative projects and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Her Twitter handle is @Trishapedia.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Eastland County sheriff's deputy killed, suspect charged