By Adam Dodson
The Selma Times-Journal

One of two men on trial for the 2013 shooting murder of a high school senior was convicted of felony murder Thursday night around 11 p.m. His maximum sentence is life in prison.

The decision was made after five hours of deliberation by a Dallas County jury. The trial began at the start of the week with Dallas County Circuit Judge Donald McMillan presiding over the case.

The trial for the other man accused, John Jones, is still pending.

The charges stem from an incident back in December of 2013, when Selma High School senior Alexis Hunter and two of her friends were being robbed for their cell phones. The incident ended with her being shot in the head and killed.

The incident occurred outside of Selma High.

Sgt. Kendall Thomas with Selma Police testified in a 2013 bond hearing he heard Hunter saying he was “broke”. He also testified that Jones shot her in the head after asking for her cell phone.

At the time of the incident, Larry Hunter was 18-years-old and Jones was 16-years-old. Alexis Hunter was 18-years-old at the time of her death.

Judge McMillan ordered a pre-sentence investigation to determine if there is anything else that could play a factor in the amount of time he serves.

According to Selma District Attorney Michael Jackson, they will be pursuing the maximum charge for Hunter. Jackson is still angered by the criminal act, but happy to provide some comfort for the family.

“Alexis was an A student who had a bright future snuffed out by some cold-blooded, young gunslingers,” Jackson said. “I wanted to get some closure for her mother and for her family.”

As to why Jackson wants to pursue the max sentence, he believes enough is enough.

“We need to teach a lesson to these young people,” Jackson said. “School is supposed to be a place to learn school work, not a breeding ground for criminals.”

Hunter received a felony murder conviction, which occurs when an individual is taking part in a crime and causes the death of another individual.

Jones could still be convicted of capital murder because he is the one who allegedly pulled the trigger that killed Hunter. Since he was already allegedly committing the crime of robbery when he killed her, this could qualify as capital murder, rather than felony murder.