One suspect found not guilty in Kingsland house party brawl death
A Llano County jury on Friday, Nov. 14, found Francisco Reyes, 19, of Kingsland not guilty on a manslaughter charge for his involvement in a fight that led to the death of another young man at a Highland Lakes area house party.
Reyes was one of three suspects charged with manslaughter for the death of a 20-year-old Lakeway man, David Michael Justus, who died from a head injury sustained during a large fight that broke out at a residence on Mesquite Drive in Kingsland in July 2024.
Reyes was the first of the three suspects to see court following the incident. The other two suspects, Ryan Moore, 21, of Marble Falls and Damon Murphy of Marble Falls do not yet have court dates set according to the 33rd & 424th District Attorney’s Office.
The trial began on Nov. 10, was suspended on Nov. 11 for the Veterans Day holiday, then resumed on Nov. 12 and ran until Nov. 14.
The manslaughter charge is a second-degree felony that can come with up to 20 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines. Manslaughter happens when an individual causes the death of another through reckless behavior.
Reyes’ defense attorney, Austin Shell of Shell & Shell Attorneys at Law, shared details from the courtroom with DailyTrib that gave more context to the case.
“We think (Reyes) was found not guilty because he was acting in self defense and in defense of others,” Shell said.
He explained that the brawl broke out when Justus’ girlfriend was reportedly hit with a beer can at the party and he retaliated by striking someone who had nothing to do with the incident. This led to Reyes stepping in to confront Justus and a fistfight ensued. During the fight between Reyes and Justus, several others jumped into the fray, with many attacking Justus.
According to Shell, Reyes was on the ground being hit by Justus and managed to get up, throwing a punch that sent Justus to the ground. Justus’ head collided with a nearby patch of asphalt causing injuries that led to his death days later.
Shell added further details, saying that the fight mostly happened on grass, but the way Justus fell sent him toward a nearby patch of asphalt.
“This was just nothing but a tragic accident all the way around,” he said.