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Victor Baxter: Abuser who strangled wife to death for not fulfilling 'wifely duties' gets life in prison

Victor Baxter, 61, is said to have been a serial abuser for decades, and his victims included many other women before his wife Mary

TARRANT COUNTY, TEXAS: Victor Baxter, 61, a man with a history of abuse, was sentenced to life in prison after a Tarrant County Jury found him guilty of the murder of his wife Mary Baxter, 40, over 3 years ago in March 2019.

Mary was killed inside their home and the jury sentenced him to prison hours after he was finally convicted of the crime. She had been physically, mentally, and emotionally abused by her husband for many years. According to a report by Law and Crime, Victor is said to have been a serial abuser for decades, and his victims included many other women before her.

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The Tarrant County CDA posted a tweet to inform the public about the sentence. The caption read, “A life sentence for Victor Baxter, convicted of murdering his wife.” The tweet was accompanied by the official statement which said, “Victor Baxter, 61, was found guilty of murdering his wife, Mary, at their North Richland Hills Home on March 11, 2019.”

“He was sentenced to life in prison. Congratulations to Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Allenna Bangs and Amy Ailin, as well as CDA Investigator Darla Dowell and Victim Advocate Clara Salvatierra, for their work on this case. A special thanks to the North Richlands Hills Police Department for their work on this case,” the statement added.

Police responded to a 911 call from the home on March 11, 2019, from an adult woman in distress. Mary was declared dead a few hours after law enforcement showed up at the scene. It was later deduced that the death was a homicide and that the cause of death was asphyxia due to strangulation.

Prosecutors stated that Victor Baxter had abused many women for decades. In May 2018, Mary went to a doctor who questioned her about various cuts and bruises on her body, and a broken thumb. She filed a police complaint the next day accusing her husband of physical abuse and “forcing her to begin a massage business in their home and perform sexual acts on clients for money.”

Later in June 2018, Victor had become upset about Mary ‘not fulfilling her wifely duties’ and took away her wedding ring - she never saw it again. He continued to assault her on multiple occasions until he finally strangled and killed her.