HOUSTON — Days after nearly beating a Harris County detention officer to death, Christian Dillard has accepted a plea deal in that case and two others, including capital murder.
Dillard appeared in court Tuesday morning on the capital murder charge for killing Matthew Harris during a robbery at a Greenspoint area gas station in 2020. Prosecutors said Dillard even took Harris' shoes after he killed him.
During court, Dillard faced Harris' mother who said her son had two children and was a caring person whose loss left her devastated. Dillard apologized to the family and said he'd never forgive himself.
Harris' mother also spoke during the victim impact statement portion of Tuesday's hearing and said her son was deaf and he wore a hearing device. She said she will not forgive Dillard for what he did to her son.
Dillard's plea deal included three life sentences for the aggravated robbery and murder of Harris, and the aggravated assault to a public servant for beating of Officer J. Valdiviez during an ambush in a jail stairwell on Friday.
Records showed it was the fourth time Dillard assaulted a detention officer inside the jail but as part of the deal, the other cases were dropped.
"While Mr. Dillard has been in jail there have been several incidents with officers and inmates to the point he had been assigned to solitary confinement," assistant district attorney Joshua Raygor said.
Dillard will be eligible for parole in 30 years. He was escorted out of the courtroom by two officers in heavy tactical gear because of his violent history, prosecutors said.
"No amount of years will ever be enough for them (the victims) to regain what was lost. Hopefully, (the deal) gives them peace of mind and somewhat accountability for what he has done and allows them to move forward with their life," Raygor said.
Last Friday, Dillard beat Valdiviez unconscious.
"He shoved the detention officer down the stairs and ends up landing on top of him ... punching him repeatedly on top of the head and continuing to assault him once the deputy become unconscious," Raygor said.
KHOU 11 spoke to Valdiviez over the phone as he continues to recover from the attack where he flatlined.
"I'm not gonna wait for someone else to get hurt, or for someone else to go through the same incident," Valdiviez said.
Valdiviez said he was pleased with Tuesday's outcome.
"At least, for now, we don’t have to worry about other officers being hurt while he is there. At least now he will go somewhere else where it’s a little different," Valdiviez said.
Valdiviez said he had been released from the hospital and was taking time off work to heal physically and mentally with his family.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez spoke with Valdiviez, who also addressed some of the concerns on Monday through his Twitter account. Gonzalez said that the sheriff's office works hard to keep the jail safe for everyone, but that there are challenges.
"That's no easy task in an overcrowded facility that houses more than 800 people charged with murder or capital murder," Gonzalez wrote.
This isn't the first time KHOU 11 has reported on issues at the Harris County Jail. Back in February, it was found to be in noncompliance with statewide safety requirements by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. The jail blamed staffing issues in part for that.
That same month, the FBI launched an investigation into inmate deaths at the jail. At least 10 people have died in custody this year and at least 27 died last year - the highest number in nearly two decades, according to county records from the Texas Justice Initiative.
According to Raygor, the state withdrew its previous plea deal offer after Dillard's actions over the weekend. On Tuesday, Dillard negotiated and accepted a new plea deal.
Meanwhile, Valdiviez said he has no plans to quit his job.