A Texas man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the brutal 2023 killing of his wife, a crime prosecutors described as a calculated and vicious attack fueled by jealousy and rage.
District Judge Kyle Hawthorne on Thursday handed down a life sentence to 47-year-old Brian Alan Jutson Sr., concluding a case that shook the College Station community.
Jutson pleaded guilty earlier in the week to murdering his wife, Sherry Shugart Jutson, after driving seven hours from West Texas to confront her over suspicions she was having an affair.
According to police, officers were dispatched to the couple’s home on Renee Lane after a 911 call reporting the attack. First responders found Sherry dead in the main bedroom with multiple stab wounds. Investigators quickly determined the fatal injuries were inflicted with a pair of scissors during a violent domestic disturbance.
Authorities said Jutson fled immediately afterward but was tracked down with assistance from Bryan police and the Department of Public Safety.
Court records later revealed that it was Jutson’s daughter who placed the 911 call, telling dispatchers her father had just confessed to killing her stepmother. She recounted him saying, “I think I might have killed her,” moments after the attack.
During a police interview, Jutson admitted he strangled Sherry before stabbing her more than 30 times. According to investigators, he described hearing her desperate final pleas as she begged, “Baby, I love you please stop. I’m dying.”
After the killing, Jutson reportedly showered to wash off the blood before driving away from the home.
Despite his guilty plea, prosecutors presented extensive evidence during the punishment phase, including testimony about the extreme violence of the attack and text messages Jutson sent to his wife in the days leading up to her death. Jurors also heard additional details about the couple’s strained relationship and Jutson’s growing paranoia.
With Judge Hawthorne’s ruling, Jutson will serve life in a state correctional facility with no possibility of early release.
