Murder Defendant Dies by Apparent Suicide During Houston Court Hearing

On September 26, 2025, a defendant accused of murder experienced a medical emergency during a court appearance in the 208th District Court at the Criminal Justice Center in Houston and was later pronounced dead.

James Paul Anderson, of Kingwood, TX, was charged in 2023 with murdering his wife, Victoria Anderson, inside their home while their young son was present. During a five-hour standoff with Houston Police negotiators, Anderson released his 3-year-old son before surrendering to authorities.

At the time of the court appearance, Anderson was out on a $300,000 bond and was in court to enter a plea on the murder charge. He was reportedly set to agree to a 35-year prison sentence as part of a plea deal. Shortly after arriving in court, Anderson suffered a medical emergency.

A courtroom bailiff administered naloxone, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, before Houston Fire Department paramedics arrived. Anderson was transported to Ben Taub Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 11:05 a.m.

An investigation by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences determined that Anderson intentionally ingested drugs in the courtroom, ruling his death a suicide.

Anderson, a former Cleveland ISD middle school special education teacher, had been awaiting sentencing for his wife’s 2023 murder. Authorities are now investigating how the drugs were smuggled into the courtroom.