Clara Ledward: Texas woman gets 40 years in prison after admitting to murdering husband 2 years after she fled country
ODESSA, TEXAS: A Texas woman has been sentenced to 40 years in a state correctional facility after she admitted to murdering her husband two years after she fled to Mexico. On Wednesday, Ector County District Judge Denn Whalen handed down the jail sentence to the 31-year-old woman who killed Jacob Ledward, 24, in May 2021.
On April 12, Ledward pleaded guilty to one count of murder for shooting her husband to death. She has been credited with 623 days of time she has served. The jury trial for the criminal case is set to begin on April 24, reported Law and Crime.
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Victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds
On May 14, 2021, Odessa Police Department officers responded to requests for a welfare check on Clara's husband Jacob Ledward living in the 2000 block of East 7th Street. After the first responders arrived at the scene, they found Jacob dead who appeared to have sustained multiple gunshot injuries.
In connection with his death, police immediately launched a search for Clara who was wanted for questioning. However, investigators found that the woman evaded law enforcement and a warrant for taking her into custody on suspicion of homicide was issued.
Clara's escape to Mexico
Later, investigators suspected that the murderer fled the country after they learned that she had family living near the Ojinaga border in Mexico. Following a multi-agency investigation including assistance from the Mexican and FBI authorities for two months, they were able to locate her in Mexico. After a brief confrontation with agents of law enforcement, Clara was taken into custody. She was shot during the shootout but survived her wound. Following her arrest, ODP said, "Our partners with the FBI assisted by issuing an Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution arrest warrant in order for us to work with the Government of Mexico in her apprehension."
"On 07/29/2021, Clara Ledward was taken into custody by Mexican authorities in Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico. During her arrest, Clara Ledward sustained non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. The Mexican authorities extradited Ledward to the United States and to Brewster County for medical care," authorities added. Ledward has been remaining in custody on a bond of over $1 million since her initial arrest.