East Texas man pleads guilty to murdering LSD dealer, sentenced to 25 years in prison

Jace Weeks to be eligible for parole after serving 20 years of prison sentence

A Huntington, Texas, man who pleaded guilty last week to murdering a man he met to purchase LSD in 2018 was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced the sentencing of 24-year-old Jace Weeks in a press release on Sunday.

Weeks pleaded guilty to fatally shooting 31-year-old Sam Kyle James on April 30, 2018.

That day, Weeks drove to Houston from Huntington, a small town outside of Lufkin, Texas, to buy LSD from James, who went by his middle name, Kyle.

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east texas man pleads guilty to murdering lsd dealer sentenced to 25 years in prison

Jace Weeks pleaded guilty to fatally shooting 31-year-old Sam Kyle James on April 30, 2018. (Harris County District Attorneys Office)

Ogg said in the release that right before the exchange, Weeks shot James in the head with a .22-caliber rifle.

The victim was found dead in his vehicle in a parking garage at the apartment complex where he lived.

The Houston Police Department investigated the case, which included the review of surveillance video from the apartment complex.

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east texas man pleads guilty to murdering lsd dealer sentenced to 25 years in prison

Sam Kyle James, above, of Houston was fatally shot by Jace Weeks, who planned to meet with James on April 30, 2018, to buy LSD. (Harris County District Attorney's Office)

The video helped investigators identify the vehicle that left the scene, which led detectives to Weeks.

Days after the murder, investigators spoke with Weeks, who admitted what happened.

"This was a pointless murder that didn’t have to happen," Ogg said. "By getting justice for the victim’s family, they are able to have some closure and move forward with their grief."

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Assistant District Attorney Bryan Honeycutt prosecuted the case and said it was important for the James family that the killer face justice and take responsibility for his actions.

"The family of Kyle James has waited very patiently for the past five years, and we were able to negotiate an appropriate sentence," Honeycutt said.

Weeks will be eligible for parole after serving 20 years.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Authored by Greg Wehner via FoxNews July 23rd 2023