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

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

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

Hilliard and her co-defendant, Anthony Al Chambers, 42, initially were charged with capital murder in the incident. However, the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office reduced the charge to murder in both cases in exchange for Hilliard’s and Chambers’ guilty pleas and their waiver of appeals.

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

Both Hilliard and Chambers must be given credit for serving half of their sentences before they can become eligible for parole.

Members of Juarez’s family, some wearing T-shirts bearing his image, attended Wednesday’s plea hearing. They said they were not pleased with Hilliard’s sentence.

“There is no justice,” said Juarez’s grandmother, Priscilla Torres. “But there will be justice when they meet our maker.”

Prosecutor Kristi DeCluitt declined comment after the hearing.

Hilliard was represented by Russ Hunt and Russ Hunt Jr.

“She realizes that she made a mistake, and she is trying to do the best she can with what she got,” the elder Hunt said.

Prosecutors agreed to dismiss a possession of methamphetamine charge against Hilliard as part of the plea agreement.

According to an arrest affidavit, Hilliard contacted Juarez “to buy some illegal narcotics” from him at the Kate Ross Apartments. After Juarez’s death, investigators found messages between Hilliard and Juarez in which Hilliard is asking to buy drugs from him, the affidavit alleges.

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 Chambers admitted killing Juarez. The witness said Chambers was trying to get rid of the matching gold shirt and pants he was wearing when he shot and killed Juarez, court records allege. The witness reported that Chambers wanted to go back to the scene “to retrieve some guns and drugs,” according to an arrest affidavit.

A second witness told police that Chambers agreed to help Hilliard rob Juarez and used an “AR-15-style rifle” to kill him, records show. After the shooting, Chambers stashed the gun in Juarez’s car and he and Hilliard fled the scene in Hilliard’s car, the witness told police detectives.

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