The capital murder trial of a Texas man accused of killing his own mother in front of his young daughter began this week in San Antonio. Frank Falcon, 47, is charged with one count of capital murder, according to Bexar County court records.
Prosecutors allege Falcon shot and killed 66-year-old Linda Webster during a violent confrontation at her home on Gillette Boulevard on July 14, 2022. Linda’s husband, 67-year-old Mark Webster, who is Falcon’s stepfather, was also shot and injured.
Falcon’s daughter, who was 9 years old at the time, was reportedly inside the house during the shooting but was not physically harmed. Police were called to the home at around 2 a.m. and arrived to find Linda Webster dead. Mark Webster was still alive but suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
Falcon was initially arrested on an additional charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, though that charge was later dropped after he was indicted in October 2022. Prosecutors claim the killing was sparked by a dispute over eviction and unpaid property taxes.
According to a report from San Antonio KSAT, Falcon had been allowed to live rent-free in another property owned by his mother, under an agreement that he would cover the property taxes. But in 2022, the Websters allegedly received a $10,000 bill showing that taxes had not been paid for 4 years. Prosecutors say that discovery led the couple to evict Falcon.
Much of the trial has focused on Mark Webster’s identification of the alleged shooter. While he has repeatedly pointed to Falcon, defense attorneys have highlighted inconsistencies in his recollection.
During a pretrial hearing held outside the jury’s presence, Mark Webster reportedly answered questions while crying, according to the San Antonio Express-News. He admitted struggling with his memory but said he would have been surprised if he had not identified Falcon to the police.
According to authorities, he did identify him. In his first 911 call, Webster said it was “probably Frank Falcon” who committed the shooting, language the defense used in an attempt to suppress evidence. Webster later told a detective he was unsure and described the shooter as a “black shadow.”
However, jurors were later shown police body camera footage where Webster stated, “I think it was Frank Falcon, my stepson.” Prosecutors also presented forensic evidence during opening statements.
Assistant District Attorney Lauren Scott told jurors that a bullet recovered from Linda Webster’s body matched a gun found in Falcon’s vehicle after his arrest. The defense waived its opening statement.
On Wednesday, jurors heard testimony from one of the responding officers, who described Falcon’s behavior when police arrived. “What stood out was he had black latex gloves on,” the officer said, according to KSAT.
The officer testified that the gloves were later found on the ground and were shown in court. Jurors also heard Falcon fled the scene and was eventually subdued with a Taser-like device.
Another point of contention involves a letter sent to the Webster home after the shooting. Mark Webster testified that he believed it came from Falcon because it had a Bexar County jail return address. The letter, addressed to Linda Webster’s granddaughter, read: “I am sorry for what I did to your grandma.”
If convicted, Falcon faces an automatic sentence of life in prison.
READ NEXT
- Trump Calls Economy a “Miracle” as Layoffs Reach Highest January Total Since 2009
- Texas man shot and killed his mother in front of his 9-year-old daughter after eviction over unpaid property taxes
- Tom Cruise ‘quits £35m London flat after Rolex store robbery’
- Kansas Trump Voters say Economic Pressures are Growing as Low-Income Families deal with Higher Grocery and Fuel Costs
- Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Trump ‘Treats Those Who Support Him the Most Like Crap’