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Juan Carlos Gallardo was sentenced to life in prison in Lubbock, Texas, on Monday, December 9, 2019, after a jury convicted him of murdering his girlfriend, 28-year-old Yvette Ellis.

Gallardo, 47 at trial, went before a jury on Tuesday, December 3, 2019, in the 137th District Court in Lubbock. Prosecutors argued the shooting was intentional, noting the gun had multiple safeties and the wound showed its muzzle had been pressed against the skin. The defense called no witnesses and argued the death was a tragic act but not criminal. Gallardo did not testify. The jury found him guilty of murder on Friday, December 6, 2019, after about an hour of deliberation. He chose to have the judge decide punishment, and Judge McClendon imposed the life sentence. No appeal has been publicly reported.

Gallardo lived in Lubbock. At trial, prosecutors presented a May 21, 2005 domestic violence case in which he had received 12 months of community supervision. His former wife testified that they married in 1993, separated in 2013, and that he had been verbally and physically abusive and controlling. Prosecutors also said Gallardo was a former Marine who knew firearms.

At about 8 p.m. on Thursday, January 5, 2017, Lubbock police received a shots-fired call to a home in the 1600 block of 58th Street, near Avenue P. Officers found Ellis dead from a gunshot wound to the back right side of her neck. Gallardo had called 911 himself and said the gun went off. Police said the couple had been arguing, a gun was brought out, and they struggled over it before it fired once. Two children were in the home that night and were placed by Child Protective Services. Ellis was the mother of four children in all; none of the children were named in reporting.

The Lubbock Police Department questioned Gallardo after the shooting. He was 44 when he was arrested on January 6, 2017, and was first charged with manslaughter. A Lubbock grand jury indicted him for murder in April 2017.

In the police interview, detectives review Gallardo's earlier arrest history, ask him to sign a consent to search form for his house and ask him to recount events from the start of the evening. He says he is scared and confused. In the closing minutes, he tells detectives his past accusations were defended situations, says he received an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps and swears his account is true to his knowledge. In recorded interviews shown to the jury, he repeatedly said he had been trying to shoot himself, that he and Ellis struggled and that the gun went off. In his first interview, he said he called his son before calling 911.

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Part 2 of 3 of the recording described above.

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Part 3 of 3 of the recording described above.