The office of District Attorney Micheal Murray issued the following press release Wednesday afternoon:

Troy Daniel Jr., 37, pled guilty to capital murder Wednesday for the murder of Nancy Sanchez in February 2024. Because Daniel pled guilty and took responsibility for the murder, he was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Before the District Attorney’s Office would agree to this sentence, Daniel had to waive all his rights to appeal this conviction and sentence.

The District Attorney’s Office charged Daniel with capital murder for Daniel’s actions in murdering Sanchez while kidnapping or sexually assaulting her. Texas Ranger Kal Khatib and detectives from the Brownwood Police Department worked tirelessly to piece together the last few hours of Sanchez’s life to show that Daniel was responsible for the brutal violence that occurred to Sanchez.

District Attorney Micheal Murray said, “Daniel’s actions devastated a family through his brutalization of Nancy Sanchez. The District Attorney’s Office can never undo the consequences of such heinous and violent actions for Nancy’s family. However, we can ensure that Daniel cannot put law abiding citizens at risk again while also providing finality to the sentence for those who are heartbroken by her loss.”

Murray also stated “On a personal level, I believe actions such as Daniel’s deserved to be punished with a death sentence. However, as the District Attorney my duty requires that our office consider many factors when determining an appropriate outcome.”

On-going trauma for victim’s family from lengthy capital murder trials and the rights of a defendant to appeal for many years even after a death sentence represent major concerns for the District Attorney’s Office. Current developments in death penalty law make trials and appeals potentially extend over decades, threatening to undo the difficult and critical work done by law enforcement and prosecutors. “Protecting a victim’s family from the difficulty of on-going uncertainty for so many years shapes discussions about how to resolve capital murder cases,” said Murray.

The district attorney’s office indicated that several additional substantial concerns affected Murray’s willingness to consider an agreement for life without parole. Under current laws, the death penalty may only be imposed when twelve jurors and the appellate courts are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that there is a probability that the defendant will pose a future danger to society by continuing to commit criminal acts of violence and also unanimously find that there are not mitigating circumstances that warrant the imposition of a life sentence instead.

While Murray believed that evidence at a trial would show that the defendant does pose a future danger, Daniel would have had a right to put on evidence from mental health experts that his military service constituted mitigating circumstances. The county would be required to bear the cost of this litigation – potentially costing millions of taxpayer dollars. If any juror or appellate court believed that Daniel’s significant period of military service rose to the level of a mitigating fact, the death penalty cannot legally be imposed.

Murray continued “While our hearts want the feeling of justice and closure provided by a death sentence, the knowledge that the trial and appellate process would present so much risk and cost cautions us not to seek the death penalty in every case where sympathy and emotions ask for this outcome. As a district attorney, the duties to all citizens of Brown County require that I take into account all the legal factors involved – not just emotions.”

“Learning the desires of Nancy’s family play an important role in balancing these factors. Throughout the time this case has been pending, attorneys from my office have met with Nancy’s family to discuss possible outcomes. Final resolutions are never easy in either direction as families continue to suffer loss no matter the outcome. However, in this case, I believe that my office has found the appropriate balance that will best serve justice,” affirmed Murray.

Ultimately, Murray believes that ensuring that Daniel will spend every day of the remainder of his life behind bars will protect citizens of the community while ensuring finality to the judgment.

The District Attorney would also like to thank the tireless efforts of the Brownwood Police Department and Texas Ranger Kal Khatib for their excellent work investigating this case. The DA’s Office recognizes that investigation and prosecution of capital murder cases take extreme amounts of resources from law enforcement officers. Their dedication to ensuring justice in this case served our community well.