Overview
- A Tarrant County jury found 57-year-old Frederick Spears guilty on Wednesday and he was automatically sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole.
- Prosecutors presented evidence that Spears purchased a knife-and-saw set described in court as a “murder kit,” then waited in the backyard to ambush his 53-year-old estranged wife.
- Days before the Sept. 22, 2025 killing, an emergency protective order barred Spears from contacting the family after an arrest for threatening relatives with knives, but officers later gave him a ride to his wife’s home when he posted bond.
- Mary Spears fought back but suffered multiple stab wounds, including a fatal wound to the heart; her son found her unresponsive and officers later located Frederick Spears hiding behind a church where he harmed himself and tried to attack a police K‑9.
- The investigation and trial involved Arlington police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Tarrant County prosecutors, and officials say the police department is reviewing the officer actions around the post-arrest transport that preceded the killing.