By Emerson Clarridge
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — A jury in Tarrant County on Monday showed no leniency to a woman who, after drinking shots of tequila, recklessly drove a car into a Fort Worth police sergeant as he stood on an interstate ramp, killing the department mentor and husband of 35 years.
In assessing a life prison term for DeAujalae Evans, the jury selected the most severe penalty for intoxication manslaughter causing the death of a peace officer, the offense to which Evan pleaded guilty as the jury began to hear evidence in the case of the death of Sgt. Billy Randolph.
When it began deliberations, the jury was directed to arrive at a sentence of five to 99 years, or life. Evans, 26, will become eligible for parole after she has served 30 years, though a pending probation revocation motion in connection with a case in which she shot her girlfriend in the months before the crash could extend her time in prison.
“I want you to know Ms. Evans, you just heard my husband’s voice,” Randolph’s wife, Lisa, told the defendant after the verdict, noting that it had been 569 days since she had heard it.
“It was a terrible choice and there’s no mercy to be given,” Assistant Criminal District Attorney Brittane Hamilton said in the state’s closing argument in Criminal District Court No. 2 in Tarrant County.
Randolph’s wife and daughter were in the courtroom gallery throughout the trial with other relatives and the sergeant’s former colleagues.
Randolph was standing outside his vehicle at the scene of an 18-wheeler crash and fire when he was struck by Evans’ car on Aug. 12, 2024.
Evans continued to drive and then got out of the car and ran before she was arrested, prosecutors told the jury. “She drove her car 100 yards past where Sgt. Billy Randolph lay bleeding out,” Hamilton said.
In a statement after the verdict, the Fort Worth Police Department said, “As this chapter comes to a close, we continue to stand with Sergeant Randolph’s family, his loved ones, and the officers who served alongside him. Billy dedicated nearly 30 years to the residents of Fort Worth. Billy was a leader in this department and someone people counted on. His loss is still felt across our department and throughout this community.”
The department also thanked “the officers who stood beside Lisa during the most difficult moments and who were there that day, supporting one another and carrying on in the face of an unimaginable loss.”
Many uniformed officers attended portions of the trial as did former Police Chief Neil Noakes and current Chief Eddie Garcia .
“Sergeant Billy Randolph showed up every day ready to serve others and do the job the right way,” Garcia said in a statement. “What he gave to this city matters, and it will not be forgotten. Our focus remains on taking care of his family, supporting our officers, and continuing to serve this community with the same commitment Billy demonstrated.”
This is a developing story. For the latest updates, sign up for breaking news alerts.
©2026 Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Visit star-telegram.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
