Texas – In a disturbing and tragic family incident in Texas, a 69-year-old woman, identified as D. Campos, who confessed to killing her 64-year-old sister P. Sauceda, will not spend time in prison. Instead, she has been sentenced to spend the next decade under supervision in an assisted living facility following a plea agreement with prosecutors.
The events unfolded last year when authorities were called to a home, where they discovered two deceased sisters: Sauceda and 72-year-old L. Blann. Sauceda was found with a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. The death of the older sister, Blann, was attributed to natural causes by the authorities, and Campos faced no charges regarding Blann’s death.
The grim discovery of the bodies was made after Blann’s daughter, unable to reach her mother by phone, visited the home. Upon arrival, she encountered Campos who alerted her to Blann’s location by indicating she was “on the floor.” This led to the daughter breaking into the home, where she found Campos and the bodies of her mother and aunt. Campos reportedly confessed to the murder. She told responding officers that she had shot Sauceda and also directed the police to the exact location of the gun used in the shooting, which she had hidden in a plastic bag under the bed. According to investigators, they found the bag containing the firearm and a single used shell casing.
Campos appeared in court, where she entered a no contest plea to a single count of manslaughter, a reduced charge from the initial accusation of murder. This plea was part of an agreement that included a 10-year deferred adjudication—a form of probation that could ultimately dismiss the criminal case against her if all conditions are met during the probation period. The decision to place Campos in an assisted living facility was influenced by her recent health issues, including suffering multiple strokes, which were brought to light by her attorney, M. Guerrero, during the court session. “She’s remorseful. She and her sister were best friends, but she believes that her sister is in heaven and no longer suffering,” the attorney reportedly told the court.
This case has resonated deeply within the community and the legal system, given the tragic nature of the incident and the unusual circumstances involving elderly individuals and familial relations. The court’s decision to opt for a supervised living arrangement for Campos instead of prison time takes into account her health and the nature of her relationship with the victim. As Campos adjusts to the life in an assisted living facility under close supervision, the community and her remaining family members are left to mourn the losses and perhaps find closure in the aftermath of such a poignant and painful chapter in their lives.
