After a long, convoluted prosecution that included bail-jumping and fleeing the country, an Ellis County abuser has now been sentenced to decades behind bars.
As established in court, four years ago Robert Parham kicked and pistol-whipped his girlfriend and put the gun to her head until she promised to say her injuries were caused by an ATV accident. But once at the hospital, she told the truth about how Parham had assaulted her.
But prosecutors say she recanted that testimony out of fear of Parham. Nevertheless, the case was set for trial in 2021 and a jury had already been selected when Parham jumped bail and took off for Mexico.
But last year, he was arrested trying to cross the border and was returned to Ellis County.
A new trail began this week and the jury convicted him of aggravated assault. During the penalty phase, the same jury heard additional information about Parham's long, violent history of abusing his partners including a conviction for assaulting an ex-wife.
Hearing all that, the jury has sentenced Parham to 50 years in prison.
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