Men plead guilty to murder, sexual assault of a child
Dec. 2—Wednesday in the 13th District Court Jesse Raines plead guilty to the murder of Jimmy French III and was sentenced to 33 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, according to District Attorney Will Thompson.
French's body was found in a wooded area north of Dawson during investigation of a tip received by police about a year after he was reported missing.
"This was basically a "cold case" with minimal forensic evidence available due to the long delay between the murder and the recovery of the body," Thompson stated. "Nonetheless, detectives from the Navarro County Sheriff's Office worked closely with the Texas Rangers to investigate the case.
"I want to express my condolences to the family of the victim and hope this brings some closure. I also want to thank and recognize the hard work of the Navarro County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Rangers in this difficult investigation."
Alejandro Hernandez plead guilty Nov. 23 to Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child in the Navarro County Court at Law and was sentenced to 20 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Thompson stated that when police responded to a disturbance, a female victim disclosed to an officer that Hernandez had molested her years before.
Investigation by the Navarro County Sheriff's Office led to indictment of Hernandez. The victim and family chose to agree to a plea deal for 20 years rather than testify at trial. Federal immigration authorities have placed a hold on Hernandez for likely deportation upon completion of his prison sentence.
