Roger Allison, 28, was found guilty of murdering his wife by a Dallas County jury.
On Valentine’s Day last year, Raesha Nelson Allison, 29, was killed in front of her two children in their apartment in east Oak Cliff.
On Thursday, Roger Allison was given an 80-year prison sentence.
Prosecutors state that Allison shot his wife eight times as she was holding their baby daughter. Body cam footage from responding officers showed that the baby was hollering on the floor besides the mother. Officers said that Raesha’s young son was sitting close by with his eyes shut. The children were quickly taken to a patrol vehicle.
Allison had left the apartment before officers had arrived. He got rid of the murder weapon before going to his mother’s home.
During his sentencing trial, Allison testified that his wife had retrieved the gun first and pointed it at him. The two had been arguing about a broken gas tank on a vehicle which somehow turned into cheating allegations from both sides. The husband stated that he doesn’t recall shooting his wife and said it was unintentional.
“I beat myself up every day, every night, knowing that I’m the one who did it. It wasn’t on purpose,” he said.
Raesha’s mother now has custody of her three grandchildren. She said that the young son who saw his mother get killed has nightmares and needs medicine to sleep.
Roger Allison’s mother showed her dismay in court as her son received his sentence by pounding her fists on her head, crying. She was permitted to hug her son and told him that she would always love him as he was being led out of the courtroom.
“I failed you,” Allison stated to his mother.
