Former Teacher, Ex-Clown Accused Of Murdering Wife Drops Dead Moments Before Sentencing
A Texas man collapsed and died in a Houston courtroom Friday just before a judge would sentence him to 35 years in prison for murdering his wife.
James Paul Anderson, 39, suffered a medical emergency shortly after arriving at the Criminal Justice Center’s 208th District Court, according to Harris County District Attorney’s news release. The defendant was out on a $300,000 bond and had agreed to accept a plea deal for killing his wife, Victoria Anderson, in 2023.
A court bailiff administered naloxone before paramedics transported Anderson to Ben Taub Hospital. Doctors pronounced him dead at 11:05 a.m. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences will conduct an autopsy. Houston Police Department arrested Anderson after a standoff at his Kingwood home following the shooting.
Witnesses told KHOU that Anderson spoke with his attorney before asking for time alone. He then spit something into a trash can. Minutes later, he started vomiting and became visibly ill. (RELATED: Shooting Reported At Texas ICE Facility, Suspect Dead)
BREAKING: James Paul Anderson, who was accused of killing his wife at their Kingwood home in 2023, died in court this morning before he accepted a plea deal that would have landed him in prison for 35 years.
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— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) September 26, 2025
Anderson’s attorney found a bag containing a brown, crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine in the trash can. The judge cleared the courtroom and declared it a possible crime scene.
Victoria Anderson called 911 in September 2023 to report her husband threatened to shoot her. The operator heard gunfire during the call. When police arrived, Anderson let his 3-year-old son leave before barricading himself inside for several hours. Prosecutors said they believed the child witnessed his mother’s death.
Court records showed previous domestic issues at the home. Victoria filed for divorce about a month before the shooting. Anderson worked in Cleveland ISD’s special education department.