SAN LEON – A San Leon man has been convicted of murder and sentenced to 40 years for the fatal beating of his ex-girlfriend in 2021.
William Glenn Herron, 57, was convicted of the murder of Mary Elizabeth Hyman by a jury on Oct. 11.
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Herron opted to have his punishment determined by the court, which handed down the 40-year sentence on Wednesday.
The case began in April 2021 when a Galveston County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a disturbance at Hyman’s trailer in San Leon. Finding no apparent cause for concern, the deputy left.
The next morning, Herron called 911 to report that he believed Hyman was dead. Responding deputies discovered Hyman’s body on the floor of her trailer, with multiple blunt force injuries to her head and face, alongside blood, pulled hair, and other evidence of a violent struggle.
In August 2021, Herron was indicted for murder, and his trial began on October 7, 2024.
During the trial, prosecutors presented text messages and surveillance footage showing Herron stalking Hyman in the days leading up to her death.
Graphic photos of the crime scene revealed Hyman’s face covered in blood and bruises. Galveston County Medical Examiner Dr. Erin Barnhart testified that Hyman died from blunt force trauma.
Herron’s defense argued that an unknown individual killed Hyman or that she died from accidental falls.
The jury rejected these claims, deliberating for just over an hour before returning a guilty verdict.
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In her closing arguments, chief prosecutor Whitney Rasberry told jurors, “He beat her to death and discarded her like a piece of trash.”
At the sentencing hearing, Rasberry asked the court to impose a life sentence, but Herron was ultimately sentenced to 40 years in prison.