Texas

Texas Woman Sentenced to 50 Years for Killing Boyfriend’s 4-Year-Old Daughter

Published

2 years ago

April 8, 2024

Texas Woman Sentenced to 50 Years for Killing Boyfriend’s 4-Year-Old Daughter

Shawna Hooey, 33, was sentenced to 50 years in prison after being convicted of murdering her boyfriend’s 4-year-old daughter Jakyzia Alexander
Prosecutors said Hooey took Jakyzia took an emergency room on Sept. 7, 2019, but gave medical staff and authorities various accounts of what happened to the girl
An examination determined Jakyzia died of blunt force trauma and had other injuries in different stages of healing

A Texas woman will spend decades in prison for killing her boyfriend’s 4-year-old daughter in 2019, prosecutors announced.

After nine days of trial, a Harris County jury convicted 33-year-old Shawna Hooey of murder and sentenced her to 50 years in prison on April 3, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in an April 5 press release.

“We have to work together as a community to protect our children who are particularly vulnerable to abuse from violent adults,” Ogg said. “We are thankful to the jurors who recognized that this was not a single incident, but a pattern of abuse and rightfully sentenced this woman to spend decades behind bars.”

Hooey was taking care of 4-year-old Jakyzia Alexander along with her own five children when she took the girl to a 24-hour emergency room on Sept. 7, 2019, the same day she died, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, the girl’s father had sole custody and worked nights. He and Jakyzia moved in with Hooey and her four children in Tomball, Texas, after he started dating Hooey.

“Because of his work schedule, Jakyzia’s father stayed with family members who lived closer to his job and seldom saw his daughter,” the release states. “He did not see her for at least two months before her death, except through video calls.”

When Hooey took Jakyzia to the emergency room, the girl’s body was “already cold” and she had a visible black eye and other injuries, the release states.

Hooey told medical staff and authorities different stories about what happened to the girl, prosecutors said. She claimed Jakyzia had to be woken up and was taking deep, labored breaths and not acting normally, so Hooey drove her around in a hot car to try to get her to breathe normally. Hooey then drove home, changed clothes and then took Jakyzia to the emergency clinic.

Hooey’s various accounts of what happened to Jakyzia included that she ran into a doorknob and the girl threw herself against a toilet paper holder in the bathroom, prosecutors said. According to Hooey, the injury occurred two days before she took Jakyzia to the emergency room, and the girl had been acting normally since it happened.

During the trial, witnesses testified that Jakyzia acted normally the day before she was taken to the emergency room.

“Further examination showed that the girl had signs of repeated past abuse, including injuries that were fresh, some that were resolving and others that were healed,” the release states. “An autopsy showed that Jakyzia died from blunt force trauma to the head. The injury that killed her would have resulted in seizures, vomiting and dazed reactions almost immediately.”

Hooey was eventually charged with murder after an investigation by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

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Jakyzia’s family faced Hooey at her sentencing hearing and gave emotional statements.

“My niece was barely 30 pounds. So how she could cause deep bruising in her head and make her spine come unattached to her body, I’ll never know,” said April Alexander, an aunt of Jakyzia, according to ABC 13.

“It’s hard. For four years, it’s been just miserable,” Vonda Harris, the girl’s grandmother, added, per the outlet.

Assistant District Attorney Gilbert Sawtelle, who prosecuted the case, noted in the press release that child abusers often work to hide signs of abuse by keeping children away from other adults or dressing them to cover the injuries.

“Child abuse does happen, and when we see it, we need to call it out and notify the police and child protective services,” Sawtelle said. “This girl was wearing long sleeves in the summertime—and if someone had noticed her injuries and intervened, she would probably still be here today.”

Prosecutors said Hooey must serve at least half of her prison sentence before she is eligible for parole.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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Texas

UConn vs. Texas Prediction, How to Watch, Odds, Channel

Published

4 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

UConn vs. Texas Prediction, How to Watch, Odds, Channel

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

The No. 5 UConn Huskies (9-1) will attempt to continue a five-game winning streak when they host the Texas Longhorns (7-3) on Friday, December 12, 2025 at PeoplesBank Arena. The contest airs at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Keep reading to get all you need to know ahead of wagering on the UConn-Texas matchup.

UConn vs. Texas How to Watch & Odds

When: Friday, December 12, 2025 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut
TV: FOX
Streaming: FOXSports.com, FOX Sports App and FOX One (Try free for 7 days)

UConn vs. Texas Prediction

The Huskies are holding opponents to just 60.4 points per game while averaging 91, giving them one of the strongest scoring margins in the country. Their defense has been particularly sharp, limiting opponents to 37.4% shooting from the field.

Solo Ball and Tarris Reed Jr. continue to set the tone. Ball is averaging 15 points per game, and Reed Jr. has provided steady interior production with 14.8 points and 5.4 rebounds. Their consistency has been central to the Huskies’ early-season dominance.

The Longhorns have shown they can score, averaging 85.8 points per game, but their defense has struggled, allowing opponents to shoot 48.5%. That could be an issue against a UConn offense that moves the ball well and attacks efficiently.

UConn’s home court-advantage and Texas’s 2-2 road struggles tilt the matchup toward the Huskies.

Pick ATS: Texas (+16.5)
Pick OU: Over (145.5)
Prediction: UConn 81, Texas 69

Prediction provided by FOX Sports’ Sports AI. Download the FOX Sports App for free access to Sports AI.

UConn vs. Texas Betting Insights

Betting Line Implied Predictions

Based on the spread and over/under, the implied score for the matchup is Huskies 81, Longhorns 64.
The Huskies have a 95.9% chance to win this meeting per the moneyline’s implied probability.
The Longhorns have an 8.3% implied probability to win.

Key Spread Facts

UConn has compiled a 3-7-0 record against the spread this season.
Texas has won six games against the spread this year, while failing to cover four times.
UConn has covered the spread once this season (1-4 ATS) when playing as at least 16.5-point favorites.

Key Total Facts

The Huskies and their opponent have broken the 145.5-point mark four times this year.
Longhorns games have gone over 145.5 points on eight occasions this season.
The total for this matchup is 145.5 points, 23.4 fewer than the combined scoring average of the two teams.

Key Moneyline Facts

UConn has won six of seven games when the moneyline favorite this season (85.7%).
Texas has split the two games it has played as underdogs this season.
UConn has played as a moneyline favorite of -2326 or shorter twice this season, and won both.
Texas has not entered a game this season with longer moneyline odds than +1103.

UConn vs. Texas: Recent Results

Huskies vs Longhorns Recent Games
Date	Favorite	Spread	Total	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline	Result
12/8/2024	Longhorns	-1.5	141	-121	+101	76-65 UCONN

UConn vs. Texas: 2025-26 Stats Comparison

	UConn	Texas
Points Scored Per Game (Rank)	79.8 (137)	89.1 (21)
Points Allowed (Rank)	61.7 (10)	73.2 (189)
Rebounds (Rank)	9 (234)	11.7 (49)
3pt Made (Rank)	7.7 (203)	8 (175)
Assists (Rank)	17.9 (38)	14.6 (179)
Turnovers (Rank)	8.8 (10)	11.5 (167)

UConn 2025-26 Key Players

Huskies Leaders
Name	GP	PTS	REB	ASST	STL	BLK	3PM
Solomon Ball	10	15	3.3	1.6	0.8	0.3	2
Tarris Reed Jr.	5	14.8	7.6	1.4	1.2	1.6	0
Alex Karaban	10	13.4	5.4	2.2	0.9	1.2	2
Silas Demary Jr.	10	10	4.5	5.1	1.8	0.2	0.3
Eric Reibe	10	9.6	4.6	0.3	0.3	1.3	0.3

Texas 2025-26 Key Players

Longhorns Leaders
Name	GP	PTS	REB	ASST	STL	BLK	3PM
Matas Vokietaitis	10	15.9	6.6	0.2	0.4	1.1	0
Dailyn Swain	10	15.7	6.9	3.5	1.6	0.3	0.7
Jordan Pope	10	12.5	2.1	3	0.3	0.1	2.4
Tramon Mark	10	9.9	2.8	2.5	0.7	0.6	1
Simeon Wilcher	10	9.4	2.4	1.9	0.7	0.5	1.6

FOX Sports used technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar to create this story.

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Texas

Texas Football Opt-Outs: Who’s Likely Playing and Who’s Out for the Citrus Bowl

Published

16 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Texas Football Opt-Outs: Who’s Likely Playing and Who’s Out for the Citrus Bowl

At this point in time, opting out of bowl games is nothing new, but Texas is going to have more opt-outs in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan than many—self included—expected. This problem pales in comparison to what’s going on in Ann Arbor, but the amount of lost experience will be something for Texas to overcome, primarily on defense.

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Latest in recruiting war for elite 2028 QB has Texas Football joyful

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Latest in recruiting war for elite 2028 QB has Texas Football joyful

Neimann Lawrence list the Longhorns as one school that is standing out

As the Longhorns continue to build for the future, one of their targets is four-star prospect Neimann Lawrence. The Miami native is one of the best quarterbacks in the 2028 class and is attracting interest from some of the nation’s top programs. On Monday, Lawrence revealed the schools that have stood out so far, including the Longhorns.

While Mondays update was encouraging, Texas was not the only school Lawrence mentioned. He also highlighted Michigan, Miami, Ohio State, Texas A&M, and Tennessee. That is not an easy list of schools to go to battle with; the Longhorns have time to make themselves stand out.

Currently, the Miami Northwestern High star is ranked as the fourth-best quarterback in is class by 247Sports. They also rank him as the ninth-best player from Florida and the 39th-best player in the nation. With collegiate debut still over a year away, those rankings could change.

At the moment, the Longhorns do not have a commitment in the 2028 class, but they have made offers to some of the top recruits. That includes Brysen Wright, Jalanie George, Jamarios Canton, Micah Rhodes, and King Pitts. Landing any of those players would give Texas a bright future.

With a decision still months away, Lawrence will be a player to watch. A lot could change as his recruitment continues, but it is a good sign for Texas that they are standing out early on in the process.

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