Central Texas woman who lured man to death during drug deal sentenced to 26 years in prison

WACO, Texas (KWTX) – A woman who lured a man to his death during a drug-related robbery in 2021 was sentenced to 26 years in prison Wednesday.

Aleisha Kaishun Hilliard, 30, pleaded guilty to murder in the death of 22-year-old Robert Anthony Juarez III, whom he shot outside an apartment complex in the 800 block of South 12th Street.

Hilliard and her co-defendant Anthony Al Chambers, 42, were initially charged with capital murder in that incident. However, the McLennan County District Attorney's Office reduced the charges to murder in both cases because Hilliard and Chambers pleaded guilty and waived their right to appeal.

Chambers, who shot Juarez during what police described as a drug-related robbery, pleaded guilty in September 2023 and was sentenced to 45 years in prison by 54th District Judge Susan Kelly.

Both Hilliard and Chambers must serve half of their prison sentences before they can be released on parole.

Members of Juarez's family, some of whom wore T-shirts with his picture, attended Wednesday's hearing. They said they were not satisfied with Hilliard's sentence.

“There is no justice,” said Juarez's grandmother Priscilla Torres. “But there will be justice when they face our Creator.”

Prosecutor Kristi DeCluitt declined to comment after the hearing.

Hilliard was represented by Russ Hunt and Russ Hunt Jr.

“She recognizes she made a mistake and is trying to do the best with what she has,” the elder Hunt said.

As part of the agreement, prosecutors agreed to drop charges against Hilliard for methamphetamine possession.

According to an affidavit, Hilliard contacted Juarez to purchase “some illegal narcotics” from him at the Kate Ross Apartments. After Juarez's death, investigators found messages between Hilliard and Juarez in which Hilliard asked him to purchase drugs from him, the affidavit states.

Hilliard initially denied involvement in the murder and said she was not at the scene when Juarez was killed, police reported. However, her phone records showed she was there when the murder occurred, according to the affidavit.

An unnamed witness told police that Chambers admitted to killing Juarez. The witness said Chambers was trying to get rid of the matching gold shirt and pants he was wearing when he shot Juarez, court records say. The witness reported that Chambers wanted to return to the crime scene “to get some guns and drugs,” an affidavit said.

A second witness told police that Chambers agreed to help Hilliard rob Juarez and killed him with an “AR-15 rifle,” records show. After the shooting, Chambers hid the gun in Juarez's car and he and Hilliard fled the scene in Hilliard's car, the witness told police investigators.

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