Trial date set in Kingsland house party brawl death
Francisco Reyes (left), 19, of Kingsland and Ryan Moore, 20, of Marble Falls were arrested and charged with manslaughter for their alleged involvement in a July 14 brawl that led to the death of 20-year-old David Michael Justus of Lakeway. A third suspect, Damon Murphy of Marble Falls, did not have a mugshot available at the time of this article’s publication. Llano County/Burnet County jail photos
Three men accused of manslaughter in the death of a Lakeway man after a brawl at a house party in Kingsland in July 2024 are set to go to trial in November 2025.
Francisco Reyes, 19, of Kingsland, Ryan Moore, 20, of Marble Falls, and Damon Murphy of Marble Falls were all charged for their alleged involvement in a fight that broke out on July 14, 2024, at a home on Mesquite Drive in Kingsland. David Michael Justus, 20, later died from injuries sustained in the altercation.
A trial for the three suspects is set for Nov. 10 in 424th Judicial District Court, representing Llano County.
Manslaughter is the charge when a death is caused by reckless behavior. Each of the suspects faces up to 20 years in prison and as much as $10,000 in fines if they are found guilty in court.
According to initial reports from law enforcement, Justus was attending a party at a home owned by a friend’s family when a fight broke out between different groups who were unfamiliar with each other. The cause of the fight was not released by law enforcement, but reports said it appeared Justus struck his head on concrete during the chaos, leading to his life-ending injuries.
Justus was taken to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple on July 14. He died on July 23.
Reyes was arrested July 23, immediately after Justus died, and Moore was picked up on July 29. Murphy was arrested some time later. All three men were indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 4, 2024.