TYLER, Texas — The last of three men involved in a 2021 robbery that left a 17-year-old Tyler boy dead was sentenced to 45 years in prison after pleading guilty to a lesser charge.
Lorenzo L. Martinez, 23, of Tyler, entered a guilty plea to aggravated robbery and was sentenced to 45 years in connection with the June 30, 2021 shooting death of Jesse McNeely during a plea hearing in the 114th District Court, according to judicial records.
Martinez along with Jason Rhodes, 22, of Tyler, and Andres Urrutia, 21, of Tyler, were all charged with capital murder for trying to rob McNeely and his friend outside of a residence in the 3200 block of Omega Drive. During the robbery, McNeely was shot and killed.
Last week, Rhodes also pleaded guilty to a lesser offense of aggravated robbery and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Urrutia pleaded guilty to capital murder this past June and was sentenced to life in prison.
An arrest affidavit states 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 died, the affidavit said.
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.