Samuel Infante

Deputy Sheriff Samuel Infante, Deputy William Reese, and Deputy Arthur Robertson, of the Ellis County Sheriff's Department, were shot and killed after being abducted by two men while conducting a burglary investigation. Their murders became known as the "Trinity River Massacre". Deputy Reese and Deputy Infante were backing up Deputy Robertson at the home of one of the suspects. Five deputies were abducted and taken to the Trinity River. The three deputies killed were shot execution style. A fourth Dallas County deputy was able to escape and get help. The fifth deputy was shot in the chest but survived. The suspects, 24 and 33, were apprehended four days later in Dallas after the most intensive search in Dallas County history. They later told investigators they wanted to leave Dallas and get away as far as they could, but their heroin habit was so bad they needed to stay near their suppliers. The oldest had spent 18 years of his life in prison for numerous crimes, including armed robbery and burglary. A murder charge against him had been dropped recently because witnesses refused or were either too afraid to testify. The case had widespread repercussions in Dallas for reasons other than the actual killing. Two persons believed to be informants in the hunt for the two had died. One was shot and killed in Dallas. The other was killed in an oil drilling accident that had indications of foul play. Both suspects were convicted of murder and sentenced to death. In 1972 their sentences were commuted to life. The youngest was paroled on December 18, 1990. No one was notified of his parole hearing. His parole angered so many state and federal officials that the parole process was changed. The most major change was that anyone convicted of capital murder could not be considered for parole for 35 years. Then in October of 1995, the suspect was arrested for driving while intoxicated in Lubbock. For reasons unknown, nothing surfaced that he had violated his parole. Thanks to a Da