SECOND GUILTY PLEA IN STOLZ MURDER CASE
Nearly five years after the murder of 57-year old Don Stolz during a Navasota liquor store robbery, a three year search for the suspects, and further delays due to punishment ranges for one defendant and mental competence for another, there is a second guilty plea in the case.
District Attorney Tuck McClain says the trigger man in the murder, Christopher Boulds was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole after he pled guilty this week in the Grimes County Courthouse.
This guilty plea comes one week after the guilty plea from Joshua Ragston, the look out in the robbery.
Ragston’s case was delayed because there was no punishment range for a 17-year old who was convicted of capital murder. McClain mental competency delayed Boulds’ case.
Boulds had been declared incompetent to stand trial but he was sent to the Rusk State Hospital where he was treated.
McClain they took the chance of the death penalty off the table for Boulds in order to move the case forward. He said he consulted with the Stolz family he came to a final decision on a plea deal.
Don Stolz of Brenham of killed on July 17th, 2009 when Boulds and Ragston entered the Stolz Package Store #2. They demanded money but Stolz, according to McClain tried to stop them with a firearm. McClain said there was a firearm discharge and Stolz was killed.
Boulds and Ragston were at large until July of 2012, when Boulds called 911 and essentially confessed to the crime.
Ragston was sentenced to 30 years in prison because of his age when he committed the crime.