Samantha Jo Lezark
From Russell’s appeal:
Samantha Lezark was murdered in her bedroom on the evening of January 5 or the morning of January 6, 2003. Detective Tony Fox of the Wichita Falls Police Department was assigned as lead investigator on the case. The medical examiner determined the cause of death to have been strangulation by a coaxial cable wrapped around her neck three times and tied with a square knot. A bloody fire extinguisher lay next to Lezark’s body, and her head had contusions consistent with being hit by the fire extinguisher. There were no signs of forced entry into the house.
A palm print on the coaxial cable was identified as that of Appellant Kristopher Kyle Russell, and his fingerprint and his DNA were found on the fire extinguisher. Appellant’s partial latent thumbprint was also identified on a laser pointer found on Lezark’s bed. Appellant testified at trial that he had met Lezark in an Internet chat room in late November 2002 and had entered into a sexual relationship with her by mid-December.
Two of Lezark’s neighbors testified they saw Appellant at her house on the afternoon of January 5, and Appellant admitted he was there that afternoon and evening. A coworker of Lezark’s found her body the next morning when Lezark failed to report to work. A jury convicted Appellant of first degree murder and assessed his sentence at ninety-nine years’ confinement.
Samantha Jo Lezark obituary
Find-A-Grave: Samantha Jo Butler Lezark
Investigation Continues Into Death of Woman. Was it Murder?
Affidavit for Arrest Warrant
Kristopher Kyle Russell v State of Texas 2008
Movies/Documentaries
Grave Mysteries: Murder in the Chat Room
INMATE INFORMATION
SID Number: 07049751
TDCJ Number: 01380681
Name: RUSSELL,KRISTOPHER KYLE
Race: W
Gender: M
DOB: 1981-03-05
Maximum Sentence Date: 2104-11-22
Current Facility: ROBERTSON
Projected Release Date: 2104-11-22
Parole Eligibility Date: 2035-11-23
Offense History:
Offense Date: 2003-01-05
Offense: MURDER
Sentence Date: 2006-06-28
County: WICHITA
Case No.: 44,489-C
Sentence: 99 years
