Sheppard brothers released on bond in killing of migrant in Hudspeth County

Martha Pskowski, El Paso Times
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Mike and Mark Sheppard were released Monday evening in Sierra Blanca after posting $250,000 bond each, according to the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office.

The Sheppard brothers face manslaughter charges in the shooting death of a migrant south of Sierra Blanca on Sept. 27. A migrant woman also was wounded, but no charges have been filed in connection with her injuries.

The Sheppards, both 60, were booked at the El Paso County Jail on Thursday and transferred to Hudspeth County on Monday afternoon. A deputy in the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office confirmed they were released on bond after appearing before a judge Monday.

The deputy said he was not aware of charges in addition to manslaughter or when the suspects were expected back in court. Politicians including U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, have called for the migrant's death to be investigated as a hate crime.

The Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI are leading the investigation. A DPS lieutenant confirmed the suspects had been transferred to Hudspeth County. The DPS declined to identify the victim because of the ongoing investigation but said the next of kin has been notified.

The El Paso Times has contacted the El Paso District Attorney's Office for further information on the manslaughter case.

More:Family of migrant killed in Hudspeth County demands justice

According to the affidavit and statements from investigating agencies, on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 27, a group of 13 migrants had stopped to drink water several miles south of Sierra Blanca, Texas. According to interviews with the victims, two men in a vehicle stopped and began yelling at the group. The driver fired two shots, killing a man and injuring a woman. In statements to investigators, Mark Sheppard said he was out hunting with his brother Mike.

Mike Sheppard was the warden of the West Texas Detention Facility, which previously housed federal immigration detainees. La Salle Corrections, the private prison company that runs the facility, reportedly fired Sheppard last week after his arrest. Advocates reported abuse at the facility in 2018 under his leadership.

An evidence marker sits in a pool of water where a migrant was shot and killed. Another migrant, a woman, was wounded by the gunfire. A jail warden for a private detention center and his twin brother were arrested in connection with the death on Thursday in Hudspeth County near Sierra Blanca.
An evidence marker sits in a pool of water where a migrant was shot and killed. Another migrant, a woman, was wounded by the gunfire. A jail warden for a private detention center and his twin brother were arrested in connection with the death on Thursday in Hudspeth County near Sierra Blanca.

More:Twin brothers arrested in shooting death of migrant; affidavit provides new details

More:Advocates: 'Alarm' sounded on Mike Sheppard's abuse before migrant shooting

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Sheppard brothers released on bond in Hudspeth County migrant death