Waco, Texas – A Dallas man will face a second trial for capital murder starting Monday in Waco’s 19th State District Court. The case re-examines the man’s alleged role in a plot to rob and murder his former landlord in December 2022.
21-year-old Brandon Stephens, along with his co-defendant James Keylan Willis, also from Dallas, is accused of orchestrating the crime which resulted in the death of 59-year-old Stanley Wilcox. Last week, Willis received a life sentence without possibility of parole following his conviction for the same crime.
According to authorities, Stephens and Willis conspired to loot Wilcox’s bank accounts, as well as to steal two vehicles and various household items. This escalated conflict came a week after Wilcox had issued an eviction notice to Willis and his girlfriend, who had been tenants in Wilcox’s Garrett Avenue home for about four months. Reports suggest Willis harbored a clear animosity toward Wilcox.
Law enforcement officials discovered Wilcox’s body wrapped in a blanket, discarded in a creek bed near the Baylor University campus. The autopsy revealed Wilcox had been shot multiple times, including three shots to the head and additional bullets to his thigh and hip.
Investigators believe the shots to Wilcox’s left side were not fatal attempts, but rather acts of torture meant to coerce him into surrendering his bank PIN to Willis and Stephens.
Given that the prosecution is not pursuing the death penalty in Stephens’ case, he will face a mandatory life sentence without parole if found guilty of capital murder.
This tragic incident underscores the escalating consequences of disputes between landlords and tenants, highlighting the extremes of violence that can emerge from such conflicts.
The impending retrial of Brandon Stephens is set to not only revisit the details of this grim case but also to potentially seal Stephens’ fate in the justice system.
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