06/17/2022
After an almost two-week long jury trial, a Guadalupe County jury found Brian Everett Day guilty of Capital Murder for the 2017 slaying of Thomas and Jenita Holland. Day was sentenced to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole by District Judge William Old. The State of Texas was represented by County Attorney Dave Willborn and Special Assistant Heather McMinn.
In the same week, Bruce Lee Kittelson was sentenced to serve his life in prison for the 2018 murder of Rocky Weaver by District Judge Jessica Crawford. The State of Texas was represented in that trial again by Heather McMinn as well as ACA Patton Zarate. The trial for the Kittelson case took place in early May of this year, Kittelson was found guilty, and the sentencing occurred on June 13, 2022.
Guadalupe County Attorney Dave Willborn stated that the excellent work by the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office and the diligence of his office was key to ensuring that justice was done in each of these cases. “In both of these cases, law enforcement took special care to investigate the cases in precisely the right way, so that my office could bring the evidence to the citizens of Guadalupe County, and so that these murderers could be held accountable. This sends a message that violent crime will not be tolerated in our county, and that taking someone's life will get you thrown behind bars for the rest of yours.”
Of special note were the efforts, patience, and assistance of the families of the victims in each case. According to County Attorney Willborn, “Without the sheer toughness and bravery of the families involved in these cases, this could not have been done. At the most difficult time in their lives, these families stepped up and spoke out. I admire their courage and resilience.”
Willborn also thanked the jurors in both cases. “The jurors in each of these cases are a shining example of people who take their civic duty seriously. They paid close attention to the facts presented to them and came to the right conclusion. The system cannot function without good people like them.”
There are three more murder cases awaiting jury trial this year in Guadalupe County.