Dallas Public Defender’s Chief Investigator Accused of Fatally Stabbing His Wife 11 Days After Divorce Filing
Jimmy Spurger Jr.; The apartment building on North Akard Street in DallasCredit: Dallas County Jail; WFAA/Youtube
The chief investigator for the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office has been charged with first-degree murder following the death of his wife on Friday, Nov. 6
Jimmy Spurger Jr. was arrested the day after Maria Teresa Spurger, 53, was found with stab wounds in a Dallas apartment
Having been married to Maria for about 35 years, Jimmy filed for divorce on Oct. 26
The chief investigator for the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office has been accused of murdering his wife 11 days after he filed for divorce.
Jimmy Spurger Jr. is facing a first-degree murder charge in connection with the death of Maria Teresa Spurger, who was found with stab wounds in an apartment on North Akard Street in Downtown Dallas on Friday, Nov. 6, Fox affiliate KDFW reported.
According to the outlet, Dallas Fire-Rescue personnel arrived at the apartment at about 10:40 p.m. local time for a welfare check. After knocking and allegedly getting no answer, responders forced entry into the property where furniture had been placed behind the door to prevent access.
Jimmy Spurger Jr.Credit: Dallas County Jail
They discovered Maria, 53, lying unresponsive on a couch with a knife in her neck. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a bedroom, they found her husband covered in blood with a knife next to him. Several empty pill bottles covered in blood were also discovered, KDFW reported, citing the arrest affidavit.
Police arrived at the scene at about 11:13 p.m. and began a preliminary investigation, the Dallas Police Department said in a blog post.
The apartment building on North Akard Street in DallasCredit: WFAA/Youtube
Jimmy, a 54-year-old former police officer, didn’t respond to initial questions from the emergency services, according to KDFW. He was taken to a nearby hospital as police believed he may have ingested multiple pills.
Maria’s death came after Jimmy filed for divorce on Oct. 26, having been married for about 35 years.
A preliminary investigation determined that she was stabbed by a known suspect, according to the Dallas Police Department.
A Dallas Police Department vehicle (stock photo)Credit: ARIC BECKER/AFP via Getty
Jimmy was arrested and charged with first-degree murder on Saturday, Nov. 7. He was booked into the Lew Sterrett Justice Center, the main jail in Dallas, per KDFW.
According to the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office’s website, Jimmy has been on the team for more than 13 years, and had held his chief investigator position for about 11 months.
“Upon notice of this tragic murder yesterday, I instructed Administration to place the employee on suspension and remove his access,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins wrote on X on Sunday, Nov. 8, alongside a link to an article about the fatal stabbing.
Before joining the office, Jimmy spent more than 20 years in law enforcement, specializing in homicide investigations, per the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office’s website. The final decade of his police career was spent with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, where he supervised investigations in the Child Abuse and Family Violence Division.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Police are investigating the circumstances and motives surrounding Maria’s death. Anyone who may have information is asked to contact Detective Chanesia Johnson #11543 at 214-671-3584 or at chanesia.johnson@dallaspolice.gov.
PEOPLE reached out to the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office and the Dallas Police Department for comment but did not immediately hear back.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Source: Crime
