CASS COUNTY, Texas — An inmate charged with murder who escaped from an East Texas jail has been sentenced to life in prison.
According to the Cass County District Attorney's Office, Charles Obin Spraberry, 44, pleaded guilty and received his sentencing on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
Spraberry was convicted of killing John Thomas, Jr. and Jennifer Archer whose bodies were found on March 11, 2022.
"Both Thomas and Archer had been shot, and the camper in which Thomas was living was burned to the ground with both bodies inside," officials said. "After a lengthy investigation, officers were able to recover the weapon that was believed to have been used in the murders. Forensic testing performed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed that the weapon recovered was the one used in the capital murder."
He also pleaded guilty to:
- Assault causing bodily injury - Family violence by occlusion (strangulation);
- Unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon;
- Escape with a deadly weapon; and
- Assault on a public servant
Spraberry received a life sentence without parole for the murders. He was also sentenced to a combined 75 years on the other charges.
On Aug. 29, 2022, while in custody, Spraberry broke out of the Cass County Jail using a homemade knife. The Cass County Sheriff's Office says he jumped a jailer and made his way into the booking area in front of the jail. Police say he then forced another jailer to open the door to the outside so he could run out.
Spraberry was taken into custody two days later following a short car chase on LA 169, south of Moringsport, around 8 a.m. A woman, who was in the vehicle with Spraberry, was also arrested.