SAN ANTONIO, TX – A Texas man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, a tragedy that unfolded when she expressed not wanting to have a child with him. Adam Byrd, 25, received the sentence from Bexar County District Judge Christine Del Prado for the murder of 22-year-old Jade Alvarez, according to court records.
Byrd entered a no-contest plea to charges including murder, two counts of aggravated robbery, and possession of a controlled substance. Though he received additional 15-year sentences for each robbery charge, these will be served concurrently.
For Alvarez’s family, the sentence feels inadequate. Her grandmother, Rita Camacho, expressed sorrow, noting, “Forty years may be the punishment that was handed down, but to us, it’s a slap in the face. It could never truly reflect the magnitude of our loss.” Camacho highlighted the impact on Alvarez’s young son, who is now left motherless.
The incident took place on April 6, when San Antonio police responded to reports of a shooting on Capitol Avenue. Officers found Alvarez unresponsive, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators interviewed a witness who had been with Alvarez the night before her death. The witness disclosed that Alvarez borrowed her phone to speak with Byrd and later was dropped off at his request on Capitol Avenue, where the shooting would occur later.
Byrd was also wanted on separate aggravated robbery charges stemming from an incident on April 1. He was apprehended on April 12, and during a police interview, he confessed to both the robbery and Alvarez’s murder, admitting to using the same weapon in both crimes.
In a detailed account of detectives, Byrd described the argument that led to the shooting. He recounted wanting a child with Alvarez, but when she refused, an altercation ensued, culminating in her tragic death.
After the confession, Byrd’s case proceeded to a plea deal rather than a trial, which some of Alvarez’s family members found disheartening. The legal process, while bringing a level of closure with a sentence, leaves lingering pain and a sense of incompleteness for the bereaved.
The family continues to mourn Alvarez’s loss, navigating a future without her presence, as they strive to remember and honor her life amid the shadow of this tragedy.