WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — A date has been set for prosecutors with the Wichita County District Attorney’s Office to present their argument as to why the capital murder conviction of James Irvin Staley, III, should be reinstated.
In March 2023, Staley was convicted of capital murder for the death of 2-year-old Wilder McDaniel following a trial in Tarrant County. He was automatically sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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Staley appealed the conviction, hiring high-profile defense attorney Keith Hampton to represent him during the appeal process. Staley’s conviction was overturned in March 2025, when the Second Court of Appeals reversed the conviction and remanded the case for a new trial.
Shortly thereafter, Wichita County District Attorney John Gillespie filed a petition for discretionary review, asking the court of criminal appeals to reinstate Staley‘s conviction. The Court of Criminal Appeals ultimately granted the petition…