The Texas Rangers are investigating the deaths of Jessica Simon Fuller and Leon Fuller, a married couple who were found on their property near Bertram on Monday, Sept. 30.
“As this is an active and ongoing investigation, no additional information is currently available,” a Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson said in an emailed response to questions from DailyTrib.com.
Burnet County Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Jane Marie Hurst performed the death inquests and confirmed the Fullers’ identities.
The Texas Rangers are a branch of the DPS tasked with investigating major violent crimes, public corruption, cold cases, and officer-involved shootings across the state.
DailyTrib.com will provide updates on the investigation as it unfolds.
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A pretrial conference in an excessive force lawsuit against Llano County is 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division. Deadlines for settlement offers and a date for a jury trial will be set during the meeting between the civil suit’s parties.
Jillian Harrod of Kingsland filed the suit on April 11, charging the Llano County Sheriff’s Office with excessive use of force when her husband, Justin Paul Harrod, was shot and killed by sheriff’s deputies in his front yard on Oct. 3, 2022.
Jillian Harrod v. Llano County et al. also charges that Justin Harrod’s civil rights, as outlined in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, were violated. The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Kaplan Law Firm filed the suit on behalf of Jillian Harrod. The defendants in the suit are Llano County Sheriff Bill Blackburn and deputies Bryon Cervantez and Randy “Ty” Shaw, who are represented by Jason Eric Magee of Allison, Bass & Magee LLP in Austin.
The pretrial conference will set a date for a trial as well as deadlines for both sides to make settlement offers, to turn over lists of any experts who might be called to testify and all documents to the opposing party in a process known as discovery.
The plaintiff seeks actual, compensatory, and exemplary damages, court costs, attorney fees and expenses.
Jillian Harrod v. Llano County et al. is one of four lawsuits Llano County currently faces. A fifth was dismissed Sept. 26.
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The city of Burnet is asking residents for one minute of their time to join FlashVote, an online survey tool that leaders will use to gather community feedback and shape decisions.
The first survey can be accessed now. Sign up online or call 775-235-2240 to receive surveys via email, text, or phone call. The process is anonymous, and personal data will be kept private from the city.
FlashVote can quickly gather resident feedback on city services, helping the City Council make more informed decisions, said Burnet City Manager David Vaughn in a media release announcing the tool.
“At the end of the day, the community is the people, and it is important that they are involved in deciding the future direction of the city,” he said.
Participants will be notified of new surveys and given 48 hours to respond. Once a survey closes, results can be viewed and responses compared.
“A feedback loop is important to make sure we are not missing something that may be important to the community,” Vaughn said.
FlashVote surveys are designed to be completed in less than a minute.
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Daily life is directly affected by who is voted into office, especially on the local level, which is why the League of Women Voters started expanding into rural areas about five years ago.
“Initially, a league represented one county,” said Janice Zitelman, the president of the LWV-Hill Country Texas, which represents six regional counties, including Llano.
The counties in those single-county leagues usually had a population of 50,000 or higher. The population in Llano County is 23,127; Burnet County’s is 55,415. Burnet County does not have a league presence yet, but if it did, it would be in the LWV’s Austin Area.
A unit must have around five members to get started. Llano County joined the league’s Hill Country area with 10 members.
“Llano has a really strong group of enthusiastic people,” Zitelman said. “Bandera (another Hill Country unit) has only four members. They still haven’t caught fire, but they do have some action going on there.”
“Action” for the League of Women Voters involves educating and registering voters, publishing candidate guides, and holding candidate forums. As a non-partisan group, the LWV prides itself on presenting candidates fairly, ensuring each is given the same questions, the same length of time at forums, and the same amount of space in printed guides to present their backgrounds and ideas.
“In the last 10 years, it’s been a total relief to be non-partisan,” said Bunny Bond of Kerrville, LVW-Hill Country Texas’ public relations person. “It brings you a different sense of being able to look at politics and interact with people. For me, personally, it’s been a job. People from both parties contact me for information.”
The national League of Women Voters started in 1919 to teach the practice of voting to women newly enfranchised by the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The league has included male members since the 1970s.
“We’re not a women’s-only group anymore,” said Llano County unit leader Diane Moster. “And we’re not just for ‘gray-hairs.’ The League of Women Voters is a diverse group.”
LWV-Hill Country Texas includes Bandera, Blanco, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, and Llano counties.
The Llano County unit is new. It held its first meeting in July and staged two candidate forums in Kingsland in the spring, one for the Llano County Precinct 3 commissioner primary election and the other for the May elections for the Llano Independent School District Board of Trustees and the Kingsland Municipal Utility District board.
“Local government affects you more on a day-to-day basis than whoever the heck is sitting in Washington,” said Denise Kennedy, a LWV-Hill Country Texas member from Castell. “It’s a civic responsibility that people have fought and lost their lives for. People in other countries would kill for this right. They would risk their lives for it.”
Moster agreed.
“Everything in our daily life is controlled by those people who run for office: our city government, our county commissioners, our state representatives,” she said. “It affects what we pay, what our roads are like, what our schools are like. Your vote matters.”
The LWV-Hill Country Texas voting guide for the Nov. 5 general election should be ready for distribution by Oct. 1, Moster said. It will include information about candidates and how, when, and where to vote, including early voting.
In September, several local league members visited Llano High School to talk to seniors about the importance of registering to vote and when they can register. Anyone who is going to be 18 before or on Election Day, Nov. 5, can vote in the election if registered by Oct. 7. You don’t have to be 18 to register.
“They don’t think it matters,” said league member Shirley Powers of Llano about the students. She was wearing a colorful T-shirt she designed with the words: “Let’s Make Some Noise, Ladies. VOTE!”
“Education is so dependent on who is in office,” she continued. “That’s the message we want to get across.”
Kennedy taught history and government in high school for 30 years and keeps a list of who won or lost by one vote. Moster is on that list. She lost a re-election bid for the Pilot Point school board by two votes several years ago. Her two voting-age children were in college and did not bother to cast a ballot.
Closer to home, Marble Falls’ 2022 mayoral race was decided by a three-vote margin, ousting the incumbent. The vote count was 226 to 224—a turnout of 8.92 percent of registered voters. The race was decided by only 450 people out of a population of over 7,000.
“It’s your country,” said Moster about why more people need to take voting seriously. “We talk about our rights, but what about our responsibilities?”
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Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Highland Lakes voters can find important dates, resources, polling sites, and voting times in the guide below. On the general eleciton ballot are regional, state, and federal races, including the presidential election.
WHO CAN VOTE?
Any U.S. citizen who is 18 years or older, is registered to vote, and can present a photo ID at their polling place can cast a vote in any election.
DEADLINES
REGISTER/UPDATE VOTER REGISTRATION
Monday, Oct. 7
To register by mail, form must be postmarked by Oct. 7. The deadline for in-person registration is also Oct. 7.
REQUEST A MAIL-IN BALLOT
Friday, Oct. 25
Applications must be received by Oct. 25. To be eligible to vote by mail in the state of Texas, a registered voter must have a disability, be 65 years or older, or know in advance that they will not be in their home county on Election Day.
EARLY VOTING
Oct. 21 through Nov. 1
RESOURCES
VoteTexas.gov—Find out if you are registered or need to update your information and view sample ballots.
Burnet County residents can vote at any polling location. For assistance, call the Burnet County Elections Office at 512-715-5288.
Early voting locations
Bertram Community Center—340 S. Gabriel St. in Bertram
Burnet County AgriLife Auditorium—607 N. Vandeveer in Burnet
Granite Shoals Community Center—1208 N. Phillips Ranch Road in Granite Shoals
Texas Tech University at Highland Lakes—806 Steve Hawkins Parkway in Marble Falls
Early voting times
Oct. 21—8 a.m.-5 p.m. all locations
Oct. 22—8 a.m.-5 p.m. all locations
Oct. 23—8 a.m.-5 p.m. all locations
Oct. 24—7 a.m.-7 p.m. all locations
Oct. 25—8 a.m.-5 p.m. all locations
Oct. 26—8 a.m.-5 p.m. all locations and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at AgriLife Auditiorium
Oct. 27—10 a.m.-4 p.m. at AgriLife Auditorium only
Oct. 28—8 a.m.-5 p.m. all locations and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at AgriLife Auditiorium
Oct. 29—8 a.m.-5 p.m. all locations and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at AgriLife Auditiorium
Oct. 30—8 a.m.-5 p.m. all locations and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at AgriLife Auditiorium
Oct. 31—7 am.-7 p.m. all locations
Nov. 1—8 a.m.-5 p.m. all locations and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at AgriLife Auditorium
Election Day locations
Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 5, 2024.
Bertram Community Center—340 S. Gabriel St. in Bertram
Briggs firehouse—2285 Texas 183 in Briggs
Burnet County AgriLife Auditorium—607 N. Vandeveer St. in Burnet
Cassie Subdivision Community Center—3920 FM 690 in Burnet
Grace United Methodist Church—4007 Valley View in Granite Shoals
Granite Shoals Community Center—1208 N. Phillips Ranch Road in Granite Shoals
Highland Haven Community Center—118 Blackbird Drive in Highland Haven
Hoover Valley Volunteer Fire Department—303 CR 118B in Burnet
Iglesia Bautista Church Hall—(CR 330 and FM 243) 4000 FM 243 West in Bertram
Joppa Fellowship Hall—8447 CR 210 in Joppa
Lake Victor Community Center—200 Lake Ave. in Lake Victor
Marble Falls Church of Christ—711 Broadway in Marble Falls
Meadowlakes City Hall—177 Broadmoor St. in Meadowlakes
Naruna Baptist Church—9170 FM 1478 in Lampasas
Oakalla Community Center—29011 FM 963 in Oakalla
Silver Creek Community Center—101 CR 128 in Burnet
Smithwick Community Center—10800 RR 1431 East in Marble Falls
Spicewood Community Center—7901 CR 404 in Spicewood
Texas Tech University at Highland Lakes—806 Steve Hawkins Parkway in Marble Falls
LLANO COUNTY POLLING
Your voting precinct is printed on your voter certificate, or you may call the Llano County Elections Office for assistance at 325-247-5425.
Early voting locations
Llano County residents may vote at any of the below polling locations during early voting.
Horseshoe Bay City Office—1 Community Drive in Horseshoe Bay
Kingsland Branch Library—125 W. Polk St. in Kingsland
Llano County Library—102 E. Haynie in Llano
Early voting times
Oct. 21-25—8 a.m.-5 p.m. all locations
Oct. 26—7 a.m.-7 p.m. all locations
Oct. 27—11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. all locations
Oct. 28-Nov. 1—7 a.m.-7 p.m. all locations
Election Day locations
Llano County residents must vote in the precinct in which they are registered to vote on Election Day. Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 5, 2024.
Precinct 101—Llano County Agriculture and Health Building, 1447 Texas 71 East in Llano
Precinct 102—Blue Lake Community Center, 214 W. Bluebonnet Road in Horseshoe Bay
Precinct 108—Sunrise Beach City Hall, 124 Sunrise Beach Drive in Sunrise Beach Village
Precinct 109—Horseshoe Bay City Office, 1 Community Drive in Horseshoe Bay
Precinct 203—Llano County East Annex Building, 8347 RR 1431 West in Buchanan Dam
Precinct 204—Lakeshore Branch Library, 7346 RR 261 in Buchanan Dam
Precinct 205—Tow Community Center, 135 CR 221 in Tow
Precinct 307—Kingsland Branch Library, 125 W. Polk St. in Kingsland
Precinct 410—Llano County Library, 102 E. Haynie in Llano
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The Burnet County land on which Austin-based Asphalt Inc. LLC wants to build a rock-crushing plant was meant for residential development, according to the president and owner of HVPR4 LLC, the real estate investment company that sold the property located near the city of Burnet.
“It was our understanding that the property was going to be developed into a residential subdivision,” said HVPR4’s Keith Crawford. “We oppose the proposed use as a quarry.”
Crawford released the statement on Sept. 26.
“We have no affiliation with Asphalt, Inc. or any of their affiliates and had no knowledge that the purchaser, Burnet Ranch Investments, LLC, intended to operate a quarry, crusher, or asphalt plant on the subject property,” he continued in his statement.
HVPR4 intends to place a covenant on its remaining property near the plant site prohibiting future mining or quarry operations, Crawford said.
The company’s statement comes amid growing concerns from residents and government officials about the proposed rock-crushing facility’s environmental and community impact. The Asphalt Inc. operation would crush rocks and concrete to be used for construction materials. The site is close to two state parks, a summer camp, and a city golf course.
More than 4,000 public comments have been submitted on Asphalt Inc. LLC’s application for an air quality standard permit to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the state agency in charge of issuing those permits. TCEQ officials announced they would hold a public meeting on the permit; however, the date of that meeting has not yet been set.
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Parties in a wrongful termination lawsuit brought against Llano County by a former librarian have until Oct. 25 to file settlement offers, according to a scheduling order signed by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman. He also set a jury trial date of Nov. 3, 2025, if no settlement is reached.
The civil suit of Suzette Baker v. Llano County et al. is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Western Division of Texas, Austin Division.
Baker, the former head librarian of the Kingsland Branch Library, was fired on March 9, 2022, for the cited reasons of “insubordination and failure to follow instructions.” Baker disagreed with Llano County officials’ decision to remove 77 books from library shelves and switch eBook services from Libby to Bibliotheca. She also was told to take down a banned books display during Banned Books Week.
Settlement offers between the plaintiff and defendant in the civil case were first exchanged on Sept. 13. The offers are private. The two parties have until Oct. 11 to counter each in writing. They must be decided by the Oct. 25 deadline. The parties also must agree—or not—by that deadline to have a magistrate judge oversee parts of the case.
“Jury selection may be conducted by a United States Magistrate Judge the Friday before the case is set for trial,” Judge Pitman wrote in his order.
Other dates set in the recent scheduling order include:
March 14 and April 18, 2025, for filing a list of testifying experts;
June 27, 2025, for completing discovery;
and Aug. 1, 2025, for dispositive motions.
Baker’s lawsuit seeks back pay, attorney’s fees, and an injunction ordering Llano County to stop any behavior that suppresses First Amendment rights or discriminates against minorities. Several of the 17 books removed from the libraries for the cited reason of “pornographic material” involved LGBTQ+ and racial discrimination issues.
Llano County is involved in another lawsuit filed by residents and library system users over the removal of those books.
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Jackey Martin, 41, of Bertram was sentenced to life in prison after a Burnet County jury found him guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Judge Allan Garrett of the 33rd District Court passed down the sentence on Sept. 18 following the verdict in the three-day trial.
Martin was arrested on the assault charge in March 2023.
According to a media release from 33rd/424th District Attorney’s Office, Martin abused the victim, then 8 years old, while living with the child’s mother. He was caught by the victim’s mother immediately after the assault, and the incident was reported to law enforcement.
During the trial, the jury heard testimony from a sexual assault nurse examiner, who noted injuries to the child and recovered DNA samples. A DNA analyst testified that the samples matched Martin.
Other witnesses included the victim, the victim’s mother, members of the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office, and representatives from the Hill Country Children’s Advocacy Center.
Assistant district attorneys Michael Walker and Carson Guy presented the case for the State of Texas. Martin was represented by Nathan Kight and Justice Kaigler of the Public Defender’s Office.
In the media release, District Attorney Sonny McAfee praised law enforcement as well as the victim’s family following the verdict.
“This was a great victory for both law enforcement and the child’s family, and a Burnet County jury sent a very clear message that the people of our district have no tolerance for the abuse of children,” he said.
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According to a Texas Department of Public Safety report, Parsons was pronounced dead at the scene at around 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
Parsons’ vehicle, a 1986 Alfa Romero, was heading eastbound on RR 1431 when it was struck by a westbound 2024 Kia Forte that was reportedly passing in a no-passing zone.
The westbound driver, a 34-year-old man from Spring, was transported to a medical facility for treatment of “non-incapacitating injuries,” according to the DPS report.
The crash remained under investigation on Friday.
The Choccolatte’s Facebook page made a post about Parsons’ death: “It is with a heavy heart that our beloved Steve (Coco) made his way to heaven on September 26th. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we deal with the loss of such an amazing person who was loved by ALL his family, friends, and any person he ever had the pleasure of meeting.”
The post also states that the shop, 807 Third St. in downtown Marble Falls, will remain open.
“Texas DPS would like to remind drivers to obey all roadway markings, traffic control signals and devices,” reads a DPS statement on the incident. “Passing in a no-passing zone is dangerous and increases the probability of being involved in a traffic crash. No-passing zones are typically designated where visibility is limited and/or where road conditions make it unsafe to pass.”
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