Jerry Don Elders Found Guilty of Capital Murder in Johnson County Crime Spree

In Johnson County, a jury found Jerry Don Elders guilty of capital murder for his actions during a fatal crime spree that occurred in February 2021. The defendant was on trial for shooting Burleson police officer Joshua Lott and then kidnapping and killing Robin Waddell before stealing her truck. During the opening statement presented by prosecutor Christy May for the punishment phase of Elders’ trail, she argued that he should receive the death penalty due to his unpredictable behavior on the streets making him a danger in any society he is part of. The state also highlighted how Burleson police had been investigating Elders over several catalytic converter thefts prior to these events and believed he intended and planned to shoot an officer out of revenge. Defense attorneys chose not to present their opening statement during the trial’s initial proceedings, but they did object when discussions regarding a tattoo with a pig image that carried “f*** the law” text below it surfaced as evidence presented by state witnesses who were in charge of managing records for prisoners and their visual identifiers. After deliberating over Elders’ case for two hours, jurors came to the verdict of guilty, leaving him facing either life imprisonment or capital punishment during his sentencing hearing that will begin at 8:30 AM on Friday morning.