June 16, 2023 - A Shelby County jury in the 273rd Judicial District Court with honorable Judge Jim Payne presiding has handed down sentencing Friday, June 16, 2023, for Michael Masterson following his guilty conviction on Thursday.
After hearing testimony from several individuals, including Masterson, the jury deliberated for just under an hour and returned their verdict.
Masterson was sentenced to 20 years on each of the five manslaughter charges, and on the aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge. The jury also imposed a $10,000 fine with each sentence.
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Masterson was placed into custody of the Shelby County Jail pending transport to prison in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Criminal Institutions Division to serve his time.
Following the sentencing David Hogan, Joe Parks and Masterson's ex-wife Lauren Mitchell each gave victim impact statements.
“All you fathers, I know you can relate. It saddens me to the core I can't even put into words to justify what it feels like to have your only child taken from you in such a way as to neglect of being a civilized parent and responsible parent, or operating a motor vehicle at an unsafe improper manner with children in the vehicle just blows my mind,” said Hogan.
Hogan further stated, “Victoria, if you’ve never met her, she was an amazing little girl. It took two seconds for you to just lay eyes on her and when she walked up to you with that big ol’ smile and said ’Hiii’ that’s all it took.”
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Parks stated he has had questions on what happened for three years leading up to the trial, and he’s heard rumors, while wondering what the truth really is.
“Before this trial came up, I went to my church and I asked them to sit down and pray with me because I wanted all the malice in my heart removed, and believe me son I’ve had malice towards you,” said Parks, “All I knew, is I knew that you were speeding, and I knew you were in the wrong lane, and it caused the accident.”
Parks continued, “In this courtroom I’ve seen that you lost three loved ones yourself, I understand, I want you to know that. But, I also want you to know that, when God gave you those three children and you looked down into that cradle and you catch them asleep and you see their fingers and toes, that’s a miracle, that’s something that he gave you. He gave me the same thing.”
When McKenzie Parks came into this world, Parks explained she touched his heart and took care of her little brother, who was only one year younger, better than he could.
“My wife, I want you to know that she served her church also, she played pianos for probably 30 years ... and she never went anywhere that she didn’t want to talk about the Lord,” said Parks.
All statements were directed to Masterson and Mitchell addressed much about their life together and during the resulting tragedy of the crash.
“Things that used to be so easy for me now are so hard, and I’m lonely, I’m tired,” said Mitchell.
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She said she stayed with Masterson for an entire year until she found out more facts of the incident and she directed her statement toward his attorney, “You told me that he was going 83 mph and that I couldn’t come to see the discovery without the videos. You literally told me that I couldn’t go see and they put a summary together, that’s what I was going to go see and he said I could not go Monday and [I] went and filed for divorce.”
Mitchell went on to elaborate on the changes that have taken place, “Our life changed that day, I changed that day, I will never be the same person I was that day and that is something that you can’t seem to understand.”
She further talked about her children and the loss she has endured, “I gave you those children, those are my children Victoria, Ella and Mason are my children. You’ve taken enough from me, you’ve taken so many memories in fact.”
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