Houston – A Houston mother of two was killed while working at a gas station five years ago. Now the gunman, Marcus Kenneth Cox-Davis, has cut a deal that sends him to prison for life and keeps him there for at least the next 30 years.
“This defendant had no regard for anyone else when he used a gun to rob and steal, and now the victim’s family will never again see this hardworking and beloved woman,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said.
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Donna Peña was behind the counter at the Shell station on FM 1960 and Perry Road on March 8, 2019 picking up some extra hours, according to her fiance. Shane Coyle told KPRC 2 that’s the only reason Peña was there that night when Cox-Davis came in with a gun.
Assistant District Attorney Chandler Raine, who helped prosecute the case said Peña, 32, was basically ambushed. “He gave this woman about two seconds to open the cash register before he opened fire, killing her.”
The store’s surveillance video from that night showed a gunman in a blue hoodie. Detectives found that hoodie in a neighborhood behind the gas station. They connected DNA from it to Cox-Davis.
Cox-Davis had been facing Capital Murder charges, and life in prison with no possibility of parole if convicted. He pleaded guilty this week to murder in exchange for life in prison. He has to serve at least 30 years before being eligible for parole. That plea agreement also means he cannot appeal his conviction or his sentence.
“It is just an awful case, and this was the right decision for the victim’s family who want to put this ordeal behind them so they can mourn in peace,” Raine said.