Overview
- A Kaufman County jury found McEuen guilty on Oct. 23, 2025, and the court imposed a life sentence.
- Prosecutors said he opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle after a crash near Aaron Martinez’s property in rural Kaufman County in May 2023.
- McEuen testified for more than five hours that he acted in self-defense and described 2022 videos he recorded near the property.
- Witnesses included a landscaper who said McEuen fired from about seven feet away, an ex-girlfriend who described abusive and paranoid behavior, and a Texas Ranger who found no gang link to Martinez.
- The case was delayed when McEuen cut off his ankle monitor and fled, leading to a month-long manhunt and his capture under his grandparents’ house in Van Zandt County; victim impact statements followed the verdict.