TYLER, Texas — A Tyler man convicted of driving while intoxicated and causing a wreck that killed his girlfriend in September 2021 was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday afternoon.
Christopher Hardy Jr., 28, was convicted of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle Thursday in connection with the death of his passenger, 20-year-old Tamyra Campbell.
The trial started Wednesday in Judge Taylor Heaton's 475th District Court.
On Thursday, jurors took about 30 minutes to find Hardy guilty. They reached a decision on sentencing after over an hour of deliberations. The jury decided not to issue a fine against Hardy.
A 20-year prison sentence is the maximum punishment for intoxication manslaughter.
In the early morning hours of Sept. 24, 2021, police determined through an investigation that a black Dodge Charger driven by Hardy was traveling on Plantation Drive when it struck a parked vehicle at the intersection.
Campbell, of Tyler, was killed in the crash, while Hardy had minor injuries. Police gathered evidence showing Hardy was intoxicated when the crash happened.
Campbell's younger sister Skyla Campbell testified Friday morning she misses her older sister. The prosecution showed her photos of her sister and Tamyra's young daughter.
Skyla Campbell testified she lived with her sister and Hardy in Carthage for a few weeks in 2020 and she saw Hardy slap, push and punch Tamyra. She remembered getting in between them and said Hardy then threw her on the couch.
Skyla Campbell said she later stayed with Hardy and her sister again at a Tyler apartment. She testified that she saw Hardy move in and out of the home. She claimed she saw Hardy strangle her sister. She said saw bruises on her sister during the relationship with Hardy.
When she heard about the wreck and Tamyra's death, Skyla testified that she fell to the floor. She said she misses talking to her sister and Tamyra's personality.
Hardy's mother Michelle Jackson testified she saw Campbell and Hardy's living conditions and allowed them to stay with her. They later moved out together to Tyler and Jackson helped the couple with necessities.
Jackson testified that she treated Tamyra Campbell like her own daughter.
"It was a tragic accident," Jackson said. "If my son had died, I would not put Tay (Tamyra) through this. There probably wouldn't have been a trial."
She testified that Hardy had plans to go to truck driving school before the crash.
During the state's questioning, Jackson agreed it would not be appropriate to be intoxicated and get behind the wheel of a car. She also agreed that it would not be appropriate for a man to strike a woman. The defense rested after Jackson's testimony.
During closing statements, Assistant District Attorney Richard Vance called Hardy a liar, abusive and a gun-toting drug dealer who is unremorseful about what he did.
Vance encouraged the jury to not choose probation and suggested the maximum punishments of the 20-year prison sentence and a $10,000 fine. He said every step away from the maximum shows the jury is OK with the offense.
Vance said Hardy does not want to change and he has shown no remorse, noting that while in the county jail Hardy was found with an alcoholic beverage in his cell.
Hardy took no accountability for causing the wreck. Hardy plowed into a parked vehicle at someone's home at 70 mph, Vance said.
"He deserves nothing less than that maximum sentence," Vance said.
Hardy's defense attorney John Jarvis asked for 10 years' probation instead of prison time. Jarvis said this was a tragic accident with losses on both sides.
Vance gave a rebuttal noting Hardy's previous criminal misdemeanor convictions and that he was just found guilty of killing a person. Vance said he knew the difference between right and wrong, and he would not be able to follow the rules of probation.
Hardy has also since been charged with robbery in connection with an alleged attack of another inmate at Smith County Jail. Hardy and three other inmates have been charged regarding this incident.
The inmate said the alleged attack happened after the jail's commissary items were handed out. After an officer left, the inmate said four to five other inmates, including Hardy, came into his cell, assaulted him, took his commissary and threatened him for his pin number to use his money for phone calls, an arrest affidavit read.