ODESSA, Texas —
On June 9, a jury in Ector County found Shemar Harrington guilty of first-degree murder.
The jury also found Harrington not guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced him to five years in prison.
According to an arrest affidavit, on May 29, Odessa police responded to a shots fired call at Southwest Oaks Apartments in Odessa.
When they arrived on scene, officers found a woman with a gunshot wound to her upper torso. They also found a 9mm cartridge case in the parking lot.
The woman, later identified as 31-year-old Erika Pena, was taken to Medical Center Hospital where she died from her injuries.
Witnesses told officers that the shooting happened in the parking lot, and they saw a man involved go into an apartment at the complex.
Officers went to the room the witnesses told them about and found blood and a white T-shirt outside the open door. Inside they found a man with a gunshot wound who they took to Odessa Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. He was not identified in the affidavit.
Witnesses said the unidentified man and a man they called “Pablo” got in a fight that led to the shots being fired.
They said Pena was trying to separate the two who were arguing when they heard what sounded like a gunshot. They said “Pablo” then fled to Acacia Park Apartments.
Officers spoke to “Pablo’s” roommate at Acacia Park, who identified him as Harrington, and they saw a truck registered to Harrington out front.
They also found photos of Harrington on a social media page bearing the name “Pablo Mar.” The man in the photos matched witnesses' descriptions of the shooter.
Officers executed a search warrant and found 9mm bullets and a 9mm magazine in Harrington’s apartment and truck. They also found a shirt with a name patch that said “Mar” in the truck that Harrington was seen wearing on social media.
Harrington was arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.