TYLER, Texas — A 21-year-old man was recently sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to his involvement in the death of a 17-year-old Tyler boy during a 2021 robbery.
Andres Urrutia, of Tyler, entered a guilty plea to capital murder in connection with the June 30, 2021 shooting death of Jesse McNeely. Judicial records show he gave his plea on June 12 and was then sentenced to life in prison.
Two other men, Lorenzo L. Martinez and Jason Rhodes, are also charged with capital murder in connection with McNeely's death.
In a May court filing, the Smith County District Attorney's Office notified the 114th District Court the state would seek the death penalty in Urrutia's case. However, records show Urrutia changed his plea to guilty and took a life sentence.
Urrutia and Martinez were arrested on July 3, 2021, while Rhodes was arrested last December. Martinez has been indicted (formally charged) with capital murder, while Rhodes has not yet but remains jailed.
According to an arrest affidavit, Rhodes, Urrutia and Martinez were trying to rob McNeely and his friend outside of a residence in the 3200 block of Omega Drive.
McNeely was speaking with his friend outside of his home when a vehicle pulled up and a man got out with a handgun. The man from the car demanded McNeely and his friend’s property. They said they didn’t have anything, so he told them to give him their car keys.
McNeely and his friend started fighting with the man trying to rob them, and during the struggle, McNeely was shot and killed, the affidavit stated.
Surveillance video showed the fight began between McNeely and the man from the car. McNeely’s friend got involved in the fight and then a second man got out of the vehicle to help the first man. The detective noticed the flash from the gun during the fight followed by another flash. The second shot struck McNeely and the two men from the car fled, the document read.
The state has not made a filing to seek or not seek the death penalty in Martinez or Rhodes' cases, according to court records.