Last two men convicted in Wichita Falls dance teacher's murder to serve prison time
The last two of four men who murdered and robbed popular dance teacher Carolyn Sue High in 2020 in her driveway have pleaded guilty and will serve time in prison, court records show.
The four accomplices were teenagers when they followed High, 65, from a Wichita Falls nightclub to her home in the early morning hours of Jan. 26, 2020. They demanded High's purse and shot her when she resisted outside of her home in the 3500 block of Cumberland.
Shaundre D'yon Ransom, 22, and Shane Allen Diaz, 20, pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of murder and were each sentenced to 40 years in prison Friday in 78th District Court as part of a plea bargain, court record show.
Murder is punishable by up to life in prison.
Ransom and Diaz will each receive 1,344 days of credit for jail time served. They waived the right to appeal.
A Wichita County jury indicted Ransom and Diaz on charges of capital murder by terror, threat/other felony in April 2020. Capital murder is punishable by life without parole or the death penalty.
Two other men have also been convicted for High's murder.
A jury found Zaeveion Zuiquae Denson, 21, guilty of capital murder Aug. 15 in 78th District Court. Ransom, his longtime friend, told jurors that Denson shot High, who screamed.
More: Longtime friend claims Zaeveion Denson fired shot that killed Carolyn High
In spite of Denson's capital murder conviction, he will be eligible for parole after serving 40 years since he was 17 when he committed the crime. He received 1,292 days of jail-time credit on his murder sentence. Denson is appealing his conviction.
Jiovani Morales, 22, pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of murder and was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Sept. 15 in 78th District Court, according to court records.
A Wichita County grand jury indicted Morales on a charge of capital murder by terror, threat/other felony in April 2020.
Morales also pleaded guilty Sept. 15 in 78th District Court to aggravated robbery for a separate incident Dec. 9, 2019, when he used a gun to rob a 7-11 convenience store in the 1200 block of Loop 11.
He is serving the aggravated robbery sentence concurrently with his punishment for murder. Morales received 1,320 days of jail-time credit. He waived his right to appeal in both cases.
More: Four Wichita Falls teens accused of killing Carolyn High indicted on capital murder
Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Read her recent work here. Her X handle is @Trishapedia.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Last two men convicted in Wichita Falls dance teacher's murder
