Megan Navarro
DeVonte Amerson is a free man after seven years
By Brittany Kelley - May 14, 2025
SAN MARCOS — A ride on the Dallas North Tollway was normal for DeVonte Amerson. He had done it numerous times before, but April 29 was one for the books, as he received a call that would change life as he had known it: his capital murder case was dismissed.
He laughed as he recalled telling his mother, who was in a pilates class at the time: “Once she stepped out, she was like, ‘Call your granny right now.’ So, that’s where the chain of phone calls started.”
DeVonte was a free man and he spent the rest of his day letting those in his life know the good news, too.
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It was March 5, 2018, when DeVonte and Cyrus Gray were arrested on the same day for the 2015 murder of 20-year-old Justin Gage. According to SMPD, Gage’s murder was a “robbery gone bad,” which, five years after his arrest, added three superseding indictments to DeVonte’s initial charge of capital murder.
His arrest was followed by years of studying his own case and attempting to advocate for himself behind bars, said DeVonte. In December 2023, DeVonte’s bond was lowered to $50,000, releasing him to his family for the first time in 2,107 days.
Gray was able to make bail a year prior, in November 2022, after receiving a mistrial. His case for capital murder was dismissed without prejudice July 18, 2023.
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“From [the day of our arrest] our lives stood still. We were held in Hays County jail for years. Years waiting for a trial that never came, waiting on a system that had no evidence, no DNA, no witnesses, no murder weapon, no fingerprints, nothing — except its own power and presumption of being guilty,” said Gray. “When the state takes your freedom like that — not just for days, for months, but for years — it tries to break your spirit and aims to erase you … When my charges were dropped, I was relieved, but I wasn’t free in my spirit because DJ was still inside. Because we had gone through the same hell and I knew he didn’t deserve it, not a single day,” said Gray.
After several unsuccessful attorneys, DeVonte, through the help of community members, was able to hire Christopher Randall Self and co-counsel Brad Haggard.
According to Self, the phone records — “the whole case” against DeVonte — were illegally seized, so the defense was attempting a number of motions to suppress. The phone records consist of a series of cell phone tower pings, according to court documents. The suppression hearing was slated May 6 and if Self and Haggard won the argument, there would be no trial, but if they lost, the trial would have commenced May 12, as previously planned. Self explained that the prosecutor called him prior to the hearing and said he got the case dismissed, without prejudice.
“It’s not just about me; it's about everybody else that dealt with the same prosecutors, the same courthouse, the same judges and my situation, it shouldn’t happen to anyone else,” said DeVonte through tears. “... It's like [the court is] trying to sweep it under the rug like it didn’t happen. But what about the family? What about what Justin Gage’s family is going through? Somebody needs to answer.”
He attributed his survival throughout the years to God: “I had to humble myself in ways you wouldn’t have been able to imagine — being stripped naked, being treated like less of a man. To wake up everyday and still be motivated to make change and bring something to my family, to create something out of all of this chaos. I refuse to be defeated. I refuse to be treated less of a human than anyone else. God has given me the will to stand on that and move forward. I cried to God and He answered.”
One of the worst aspects of being in jail was missing out on his son’s life. DeVonte explained that his son was too young at the time everything happened, so he was unaware, only realizing that his dad was gone. As he ages, DeVonte’s broached the conversation with his son, but has saved the hard moments for when he’s older.
Both DeVonte and Gray noted that this is only a checkpoint in a long journey ahead of them and that the pair, though they survived, are an exception among the stories of others.
“We’re living proof that this system fails people every day. We’re living proof that community can bring people home and we also need to think about everyone that’s still locked up right now. Folks who don’t have lawyers, don’t have nonprofits [to help them] … who are just as innocent and just as deserving for their chance,” emphasized Gray.
As far as those in the same position that he was once in, DeVonte stressed to never stop advocating for yourself. The appointed defense attorneys, he continued, are luck-of-the-draw. So, research the case, break down the law and learn it and don’t get distracted by the other situations in jail.
“If you know you’re innocent in your situation, somebody [has] been in your shoes before you and there’s a law for it and you need to go find it, if you want to save your life,” he said. “Fight for your life immediately because at the end of the day, if you do go down the road to where they’re going to take you, you’re going to end up fighting for it there. Fight for it in the beginning.”
In this new era of life, DeVonte is working on entering the real estate business and hopes to have his son with him every step of the way.
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Bob Shelton's legacy lives on in Hays CISD
By Megan Navarro - Nov. 26, 2025
BUDA — Husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend — Robert “Bob” Francis Shelton Jr. wore many hats and titles during his life of 85 years, prior to his death Nov. 10. One that many lovingly knew him for was as a coach within Hays CISD.
Before his time there, Bob graduated from Dripping Springs High School, holding the record for total points scored during his varsity basketball career, where he was also named first team all-state during his senior year. Following that, he went on to earn his bachelor’s and Master of Education degrees from Southwest Texas State University — he also played basketball for the University of Texas before transferring.
Bob started his coaching and athletic career at Buda High School in 1964. In 1966, the football team finished with a record of 10-2 and won the regional round — the furthest teams could advance in Class B at the time. He became well-known within the community, as his namesake was adorned on Hays CISD’s football stadium, and later moved to Hays High School in 1968, when the high schools consolidated into one district.
Throughout his 47 years with the district, Bob developed an extensive resume of accolades, including 313 career wins, multiple playoff performances, 23 consecutive seasons without a losing record, several state recognition awards and Hall of Honor/Fame inductions and more.
At the time of his retirement in 2012, he held the record for the most years — 43 — a high school football coach has served at one school in the state of Texas, along with the record for most years as a head coach at 47 years.
Hays CISD Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright shared that shortly after he was named lone finalist for superintendent in 2017 and starting his new position in 2018, Bob was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame and he was able to attend the ceremony.
“There were several coaches that got inducted in and he was probably the most humble of all of them. What he kept going back to is he constantly thanked his assistant coaches and his family and the community support and most of all, his student athletes,” Wright said. “You can tell that he really was a great mentor and bonded with the kids that he was able to coach for all those years. It’s just a remarkable legacy because it's unheard of to stay in one place for that long and I think he coached here as the district grew in every classification.”
He also remembered a tradition that Bob started, where he would go every Tuesday to Smitty’s Market BBQ in Lockhart for lunch with several community members and, when his schedule allowed, Wright would accompany him.
“It was pretty, pretty special that I got to be a part of his life for as long as I was able to because you can tell that he was an outstanding mentor and was just a people person,” he said. “You can tell that he was a Godly man and he loved his family. I totally understand why he was able to achieve the milestones that he was able to achieve and the successes because he invested in people.”
Behind Bob’s long tenure as coach was his wife of 52 years, Beverly, who was there at his games, cheering for him and the team and supporting his passion for the sport, while they also raised their four children.
“He just lived and breathed football. He loved his coaches — he had the same staff for so long — and he loved his players and really started to take care of them,” she shared. “It was great watching him do what he wanted. I don't think he worked a day in his life because he just loved doing what he was doing.”
Outside of coaching, he had various interests, including playing his guitar and singing, golf, traveling and spending time with his children and grandchildren. Beverly shared that they traveled to a wide variety of places, including West Point — something that Bob always wanted to do to see college teams play — Haiti as part of a mission with their church, Israel, Alaska, Hawaii, New Orleans, Texas beaches and a river cruise in Europe when their kids were young. They also went to New England to see the leaves change in the fall, something they were able to do after he retired.
While she has many memories of Bob that she will continue to carry with her, Beverly shared two: bringing home a fresh bouquet of flowers and dancing with his granddaughter. She also emphasized that he was her rock and the strength of the family.
A scholarship fund — the Coach Bob Shelton Memorial Scholarship Fund — has also been created and dedicated to Bob’s memory, where all proceeds will go toward scholarships for Hays CISD students.
“He loved for kids to have the opportunity to do all they wanted to do and all they had their heart set on,” she said.
To learn more about the scholarship fund, or to donate, visit bit.ly/4olEa8w.
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