Third Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Dragging Death of 71-Year-Old Martha Medina
By Jo-Carolyn Goode
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August 2, 2024 (Houston Style Magazine) — In a landmark ruling, the third and final defendant involved in the tragic death of 71-year-old Martha Medina has been sentenced to 50 years in prison. The heart-wrenching incident, which occurred during a brazen daytime purse snatching outside a McDonald’s in east Harris County, has left the community in mourning and seeking justice.
District Attorney Kim Ogg expressed the gravity of the crime, stating, “These three men schemed, watched, and waited to ambush someone leaving a bank, and their greed cost this beloved mother and grandmother her life. While we can’t undo the horrible thing they did, we have worked to ensure that they spend decades in prison for their actions.”
The Crime and the Convictions Lawrence Earl Thomas, 42, was convicted by a jury of engaging in organized criminal activity, a first-degree felony, following a four-day trial. A judge subsequently sentenced him to 50 years in prison, requiring him to serve at least half of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
Thomas, alongside Andrew Williams (also known as John Williams) and Felton Ford, both 41, orchestrated the purse snatching that resulted in Medina’s death on September 23, 2021. The trio had parked outside a local bank around 10 a.m., waiting for a potential victim. They followed Medina to a McDonald’s on Uvalde in Cloverleaf, where the tragic events unfolded.
A Day of Horror
After Medina entered the restaurant to get breakfast, Thomas seized the opportunity to grab her purse as she exited, violently knocking her to the ground. He then re-entered the car driven by Williams. In a desperate and reckless bid to escape, Williams backed over Medina, then ran over her again as they sped away. Medina was rushed to a nearby hospital but tragically succumbed to her injuries.
Williams, who was already free on bond for a different capital murder charge at the time of Medina’s killing, was sentenced to life without parole in April 2023. Felton, who acted as a lookout during the crime, pleaded guilty to engaging in organized criminal activity and received a 30-year prison sentence in September 2023. He must also serve at least half of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
Seeking Justice
Assistant District Attorney Sean Kozar-King, along with ADA Cameron Calligan from the Organized Crime Division, led the prosecution. “Engaging in organized crime was the appropriate charge for this defendant, and because of his criminal history, he was facing 25 years to life in prison for the first-degree felony,” Kozar-King said. “The most important thing is that he spends decades behind bars for what he did to Martha Medina.”
This case underscores the severe consequences for organized criminal activity and serves as a poignant reminder of the devastating impact of such crimes on innocent lives.
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