Life sentence handed to Henderson County man for killing woman in 2023

HENDERSON COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — 35-year-old Chaz Taelor White was found guilty of murder on Friday, Oct. 24. The conviction stems from the murder of Alexis Garoutte that took place on April 21, 2023.

Garroutte was found dead after a Henderson County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a report of a possible shooting on Sailfish Drive in Mabank. Upon arrival the deputy observed a woman, later identified as Garoutte, slumped in the passenger seat of a black Dodge Ram. Two deputies attempted life-saving measures; however, their efforts were unsuccessful.

White gave six different stories to the investigators for the sheriff’s office, eventually admitting on the stand that he shot a Saiga AK-47 towards the black Dodge Ram that was parked at a neighboring house, according to the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors claimed that White believed he was shooting at someone else at the scene. After the incident, White handed the firearm to his wife for disposal, and his phone records indicate that he told a friend shortly afterward that he thought he “caught a murder charge.”

White opted to be sentenced by Henderson County 392nd District Court Judge Scott McKee, who handed a life sentence on Monday after a sentencing hearing.

Judge McKee heard evidence that, in addition to his murder conviction, White had prior probation records, including a 2012 probation for burglary of a habitation and another for interference with public duties in Dallas County, as well as a 2011 probation for aggravated robbery, also in Dallas County.

White also admitted to using and dealing drugs, including methamphetamine, according to the arrest records. The judge also heard that White had “SS” lightning bolt tattoos, which are commonly linked to white supremacist prison gangs. After the murder, White tattooed a gun on the side of his head, as well as a bullet alongside his wife’s name.

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