Justice Served: Texas Teen Sentenced For Racially Motivated Murder Of Black Man After Being Slapped For Racial Insult

A 21-year-old man from Texas is set to spend the next four decades behind bars after being convicted for the murder of a Black man five years earlier, an incident steeped in racial tension that culminated in a fatal shooting.Madison Meazell Simmons, arrested in February 2021 at the age of 17, fatally shot 40-year-old Melvin Ray Rogers Jr. in Nacogdoches, Texas.The crime occurred on December 21, 2020, when authorities responded to reports of gunfire at Rogers' residence.Upon their arrival, they discovered Rogers unresponsive in his garage, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.Investigators recovered several shell casings from a 5.56 mm rifle at the crime scene.Prosecutors revealed that the shooting stemmed from a prior confrontation where Rogers slapped Simmons after he used a racial epithet.Simmons later attacked Rogers’ home, firing approximately 30 rounds while the victim was inside.Evidence linked the rifle found at Simmons’ residence to the fatal shots. Simmons was charged with first-degree murder and, during his trial beginning August 19, accepted a plea deal for a 40-year sentence. (Photo: YouTube screenshot/KLTV 7)