Georgetown man gets life sentence after pleading guilty to killing estranged wife
A Georgetown man has pleaded guilty to murder in the death of his estranged wife after she filed for divorce. Ricardo Quinones, 39, will serve a life sentence in prison, according to a news release Thursday from the Williamson County district attorney's office.
He will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years.
Quinones was indicted on a higher charge of capital murder in the shooting death of Lindsey Whitman in 2022 and his trial was supposed to begin on June 24, the release said. If convicted of capital murder, Quinones would have received a life sentence without the chance of parole, said prosecutor John McMillin.
Quinones, however, offered to plead to the maximum sentence for the lower charge of murder, officials said. "In consultation with Whitman’s family, prosecutors agreed to accept the plea as a means of providing the family with finality to the criminal justice proceedings," the release said.
“We are pleased that Mr. Quinones has been brought to justice," District Attorney Shawn Dick said in the release. "This guilty plea ensures he will be held accountable for his horrific actions and can no longer threaten the safety of our community. This case is a heartbreaking reminder of the devastating impact domestic violence can have on families. Our deepest condolences go out to Ms. Whitman’s loved ones as they navigate this unimaginable loss."
Whitman's brother, Brad Whitman, said on Friday that he has appreciated the support from law enforcement since his sister was killed.
"I've never seen the support I saw yesterday in the sentencing hearing," he said. "Every single officer on duty that night from the officers to the police chief was in that courtroom and it was mind blowing. It was a huge loss for them and some of them were taking it really hard."
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Georgetown police officers had tried to negotiate with Quinones before he shot his wife, according to an arrest affidavit. Whitman said his sister had a business staging homes but declined to comment further about her.
The crime happened on Dec. 27, 2022, less than two weeks after Lindsey Whitman, 31, filed for divorce, the release said. At the time, it said, Whitman and the couple's young daughter were living at a home in Georgetown while Quinones was residing elsewhere.
It said that during the early morning, Quinones, disguised in a black ski mask, snuck into Whitman's home with a gun, handcuffed her and threatened her with the gun and a knife. Their daughter, who also was at the home, called 911 and then escaped through a bedroom window after officers arrived, police have said.
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Police forced their way inside the home after hearing gunshots, the release said. They found Whitman's body in a bedroom, officials said. Whitman was handcuffed and shot twice in the head through a pillow placed over her face, according to the release.
Quinones escaped the scene but a task force from the Austin County sheriff's office arrested him several hours later in Columbus, according to officials.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Georgetown man pleads guilty to killing estranged wife, gets life
