Houston Man Pleads Guilty to 2019 Murder, Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

Dashadd McNeil, a 30-year-old man from Houston, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Juston Allen Walker in 2019. The sentencing was announced by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.

“Gun violence in Houston has reached epidemic levels, and it is because people think it is okay to start shooting when they have a minor disagreement,” Ogg said. “We were able to get justice for the family of this promising young man, but there was absolutely no reason he had to lose his life to gun violence.”

The incident occurred on October 5, 2019, at Coventry Square Apartments near Bissonnet. Walker and another man were in the parking lot of the complex late at night when McNeil, who knew Walker from the neighborhood, became involved. McNeil followed Walker into the complex and shot him multiple times in the back.

Houston Police Department investigators identified McNeil as the shooter through witness interviews and surveillance footage. Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Marshall, who was preparing for the trial, described the incident as senseless, emphasizing the vibrant personality of the victim. Walker was remembered as a well-known jokester with a good sense of humor and an engaging personality.

“He was a real character and a very forgiving person,” Marshall said. “He always had jokes.”

Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Marshall, a chief in the DA’s trial bureau, was preparing to pick a jury on the case when McNeil opted to take a plea.

“This was a senseless shooting,” Marshall said. “Our victim had such a beautiful life, and this defendant took it from him.”