The Brief
- Russell Alan Ragsdale was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm while under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms.
- Ragsdale shot and killed his roommate in February 2022, claiming self-defense, but a judge found insufficient evidence to support his claim.
- Authorities found three firearms and hallucinogenic mushrooms at the scene, and Ragsdale admitted to being intoxicated when he possessed the gun.
SEAGOVILLE, Texas – A Dallas man who fatally shot his roommate while under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms has been sentenced to 66 months in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas.
Russell Ragsdale Sentenced
Russell Alan Ragsdale, 25, received the sentence from Senior U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn on Thursday, July 17, 2025, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Ragsdale has been in federal custody since his arrest on Nov. 22, 2024.
Ragsdale pleaded guilty on April 29, 2025, to possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. As part of his plea, he admitted he was intoxicated from hallucinogenic mushrooms when he possessed the 10mm Glock used in the shooting.
The sentencing judge determined that Ragsdale’s self-defense claim was not sufficiently supported by evidence and noted that the victim’s death was “the defendant’s own making.”…