Brown County District Attorney Micheal Murray reported that Tuesday, April 26, 2011 in the 35th Judicial District Court of Brown County, a Brown County jury sentenced Shawna Ann Hallacy, 33, to 40 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division. Hallacy was a co-defendant in the armed robbery of Jerry’s Burgers and Shakes in Early back on November 11, 2010. The other defendant in the case, Joshua Lee Dean, 31, had pleaded guilty on April 7, 2011 and received 40 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division, as a result of a plea bargain agreement.
Evidence showed that after both Hallacy and Dean had consumed a substantial quantity of alcohol and marijuana previously during the day, Hallacy drove Dean to Jerry’s Burgers and Shakes around 6pm on November 11, 2010. Armed with a .25 caliber handgun in his pants pocket, Dean went into the restaurant twice. Once, he surveyed the place and ordered two hamburgers and left only to return a second time and pointed the gun towards the employees demanding money from the cash register.
Dean left with $282.00 and Hallacy and he drove off travelling south on Hwy 84/183 towards Goldthwaite. The employees immediately called 911 and gave authorities a very accurate description of Dean and the silver F-150 pickup Hallacy and Dean were driving. This information was dispatched to Brown County and surrounding law enforcement agencies. Hallacy and Dean were captured around 7:15pm by Mills County deputies when they were found on the side of Hwy 84/183 in their vehicle just south of Mullin, having run out of gas. Dean had to be tasered on the scene to affect his arrest.
Hallacy pleaded guilty to the Offense of Aggravated Robbery on April 25, 2011 and chose to try the punishment phase of the trial to the Brown County jury. Hallacy has been to the penitentiary twice before and was prosecuted as a repeat offender. Evidence showed Hallacy had been convicted of various crimes including forgery, theft, escape and prostitution. Dean had not felony convictions. The seven men, five women jury deliberated around an hour and a half before handing down the sentence. Hallacy and Dean will each serve at least 20 years if not more before either is eligible for parole. District Attorney Micheal Murray tried the case.
