Southwest
Texas jury returns verdict in 2022 stabbing death of high school classmate: report
A jury has decided the fate of a Texas teen who was charged with allegedly stabbing his high school classmate to death in a bathroom in 2022, finding him not guilty of murder and guilty of criminally negligent homicide.
After being unable to reach a verdict on Monday and tabling court till Tuesday, KWTX reported that a Bell County jury announced that they did not find Caysen Allison guilty of murder in the stabbing death of Joe Ramirez Jr. at Belton High School in May 2022.
The jury found Allison guilty of criminally negligent homicide.
Allison was released under the conditions of his bond, the outlet reported, which will remain in place until his sentencing hearing on June 16, where he faces anywhere from six months to two years in a state prison, in addition to a possible fine of up to $10,000.
TEXAS HIGH SCHOOLER CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER STABBING CLASSMATE TO DEATH IN BATHROOM: POLICE
Bell County jury finds Caysen Allison not guilty of murder in death of Joe Ramirez. (Belton Police Department/GoFundMe/Joe Ramirez’s Funeral & Burial Expenses)
Allison had been out on bond, under house arrest, since July 2022 after a judge dropped his $1-million bond down to $175,000 in the stabbing death of Ramirez Jr., according to KWTX.
The Belton Police Department said that Allison ran away from the school after the stabbing in 2022, but was arrested 20 minutes later.
The fatal altercation happened during a fight in the school’s restroom, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KWTX.
The report stated that Allison waived his rights against self-incrimination and admitted to detectives he fatally stabbed Ramirez Jr.
TEEN SUSPECT FREE ON BOND AFTER ALLEGEDLY STABBING TEXAS TRACK STAR AUSTIN METCALF TO DEATH
Jose Luis Ramirez Jr. was fatally stabbed to death inside a bathroom at his Texas high school in May 2022, according to police. (Viktoria Ramirez Facebook)
Officers found Ramirez Jr. suffering from “large puncture wounds to his chest” and he was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.
At the hospital, KTWX reported that officers noticed Ramirez sustained “multiple stab and slashes injuries along his chest, back, legs and arm.” He was later pronounced dead.
During previous testimony, one of Allison’s friends, Chris Bittle, described the events leading up to the fatal altercation and being in the school’s bathroom during the fight.
There was a heated argument between Allison and Ramirez at a prom night after party, according Bittle’s previous account. Text messages revealed that Allison sent a text to Bittle after that party asking, “bro, bring me a gun.”
Bittle also recalled what happened the day of the stabbing, explaining that while there was a plan for Allison and Ramirez to fight, they did not plan to fight in school and were surprised to bump into Ramirez and his friends in the school restroom, KTWX reported. Bittle testified he and Allison tried to leave after using the restroom, but Ramirez and his four friends wouldn’t let them.
SUSPECT IN AUSTIN METCALF KILLING MOVED TO ‘UNDISCLOSED LOCATION’ FOR PROTECTION: FAMILY SPOKESMAN
Caysen Allison found not guilty of murder, but guilty of a lesser charge, in the 2022 death of classmate Joe Ramirez (Belton Police Department)
Bittle also claimed he tried to step in once Ramirez punched Allison, but was hit by one of the other teens in the group, which cell phone video of the fight showed.
Allison’s defense argued he acted in self-defense in a “fight for his life” after he was attacked by Ramirez in the school’s bathroom.
Officers went to Allison’s home following the fight after he fled the scene, where officers overheard him speaking to someone on the phone saying “I did something at school,” and asking them to come and take him to Waco.
Detectives also snapped photos of Allison’s white shoes being covered in blood as he told investigators what kind of knife he used to kill Ramirez and where he had dumped the weapon.
Madison Barnes, Ramirez’s ex-girlfriend and a close friend of Allison’s, testified that Allison made threats against Ramirez to her before the stabbing, according to KWTX. She also told the jury that Allison warned her that he “wanted Joe on life support, wanted to stomp his head in, wanted his jaw dangling from his face, and wanted him in the hospital.”
Ramirez Jr., a senior at the school, was described on a GoFundMe page raising money for his family as a “very kind, loving and gentle young man.”
Allison’s defense attorney, Zachary Boyd, told KWTX that he was happy with the jury’s decision in a very challenging case.
“The Allison family is so sorry for their loss, cause there is no good outcome to this. There is no happy ending in terms of everyone’s going to leave here feeling happy,” Boyd said.
“The world is not black and white. The world is shades of gray and, ultimately, we were left with the question of what do you do when the issue is one of bullying or one of a child who is so scared that he brings a knife to school to defend himself with?”
Nearly three years later, another Texas teen was violently killed while attending a high school track meet.
Karmelo Anthony, the 17-year-old accused of stabbing Frisco, Texas track star Austin Metcalf to death, was released from jail after his bond was dropped from $1 million to $250,000.
Like Allison, Anthony’s bond conditions include house arrest and an ankle monitor, and he will only be able to leave his home with the judge’s permission.
If convicted, Anthony cannot face the death penalty because he is a juvenile, thanks to a 2005 Supreme Court ruling in a case called Roper v. Simmons.
Fox News Digital reached out to Allison’s attorney for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Digital’s Lorraine Taylor and Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
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A broken water main sent water gushing from an apartment building and turned nearby streets into rivers in West Hollywood early Thursday morning. The break was reported around 3 a.m. near Holloway Drive and Sunset Boulevard. “It’s a rupture of one of the significant mains that goes through here. West Hollywood, as it turns out, […]
After more than four decades, the remains of a woman who was found buried in the mountains of Riverside County were identified as a multi-millionaire who went missing in 1981.
The body of Thelma Gaston was discovered by a person gathering firewood in a mountainous area near Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Pinyon Crest community on Nov. 28, 1981.
After experiencing a series of heartbreaking life events, including the death of her husband and her 32-year-old son in the same year in 1957, Gaston continued forging ahead, focusing on her business of buying repossessed properties and selling them.
By 1980, she had amassed a fortune estimated to be over $20 million, SFGATE reported.
On June 28, 1981, a note was left on the front door of her home near Century City, saying she was out searching for her cat. However, she never returned home and her loved ones did not hear from her.
By then, Gaston was 80 years old. As Los Angeles Police Department detectives investigated her disappearance, they discovered a younger man, Lawrence Remsen, then 39, had recently entered her life and was the woman’s romantic companion, SFGATE reported.
At one point, the woman’s friends said Gaston had wondered about Remsen’s motives in being with her.
Police eventually found letters and documents reportedly signed by Gaston that gave Remsen power of attorney. Another letter allegedly written by the woman claimed she had run away “to have some fun in life.” However, her friends said the move was completely out of character.
Detectives later confirmed the letters were certified with a stolen notary stamp and her signatures were believed to be forged.
Remsen had tried selling some of Gaston’s properties and attempted to withdraw more than $100,000 from her bank accounts. Remsen eventually fled the Southern California area.
A few months later, he was arrested by border agents when he tried to enter the U.S. from Mexico. He was charged with Gaston’s murder even though the woman’s body had not been found.
During a trial hearing, Remsen later claimed he found the woman dead of natural causes in her home and, attempting to take her fortune, had disposed of her body in the ocean.
The judge disagreed and later ruled that Remsen had killed the woman “intentionally and with malice.” He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Gaston’s body was later discovered buried in a shallow grave in the mountains. However, due to the poor condition of the remains, investigators were unable to narrow down an identity.
A breakthrough occurred in 2022 when the Riverside County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau received new funding to reexamine long-standing unidentified cases.
“Combined with significant advances in forensic science, this funding opened new avenues for identification,” the sheriff’s office said.
In May 2026, utilizing investigative genetic genealogy and dental records, the remains were positively identified as Gaston’s.
“The Riverside Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau extends its sincere appreciation to everyone whose dedication, expertise, and perseverance made this identification possible,” officials said in a statement. “Together, these efforts have ensured that Ms. Gaston has her name—and her story—returned to her.”
Remsen, who is now 83 years old, continues serving his life sentence at the California Institution for Men in Chino.
Southern California remains under an extreme heat warning as residents brace for the hottest day of the week on Wednesday.
“It will be roasty toasty in the valleys, lower mountain elevations and far interior, with highs ranging from 100 to 110 degrees,” the National Weather Service said. The warmest conditions are expected in the western San Fernando Valley.
An extreme heat warning remains in effect for much of Southern California until 8 p.m. Thursday. Forecasters say there is a high risk of heat-related illness for anyone outdoors for extended periods. Heat advisories are also in place for areas along the coast.
“Highs for today: 98 in Ojai, 100 in Ontario. Temecula, good morning to you, 100 degrees expected there. 112 in Palm Springs. Unbelievably hot,” KTLA’s Kirk Hawkins said Wednesday morning.
Residents are urged to adjust their afternoon plans to limit strenuous outdoor activities during the heat of the day, stay hydrated and check in on elderly neighbors and loved ones.
The Weather Service said record highs are slightly warmer than those forecast for Wednesday. As a result, despite the extremely hot conditions, few, if any, temperature records are expected to be broken.
A few degrees of cooling are expected Thursday, but a more significant cooldown will arrive Friday as onshore winds increase.
Afternoon highs are expected to cool even more over the weekend, with below-average temperatures possible in some areas.
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