HOUSTON — A 31-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison for killing his ex-girlfriend and dumping her body near a west Houston park in 2020.
Javon Gilbert was on probation for setting his ex-wife's home on fire when he killed Emmishae Kirby, who was 28.
"We know that domestic violence generally escalates, and in too many cases, like this, it escalates to a homicide," Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said. "We sought justice for both of the women that this man victimized, and hopefully a life sentence will give his victims and their families some peace."
In 2013, Gilbert was charged with arson for setting his ex-wife's home on fire while she was inside. In 2015, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight years of deferred adjudication probation. If he would have stayed out of trouble, he would not have had a conviction on his record.
He wasn't able to do that.
In 2020, he killed Kirby and dumped her body in a field near Bear Creek Park.
"While he was on probation for the intimate-partner crime of arson, he committed the intimate-partner crime of homicide for a separate victim," Assistant District Attorney Mary McFaden said. "A life sentence is the only punishment that makes sense because this man hurts women and will continue to hurt women. This ensures there will never be another day when he is not supervised."
A judge sentenced him to life in prison on Monday after a four-day hearing. He will have to serve at least 30 years in prison before he's eligible for parole.
