Jury hands down punishment for man convicted in wife's shooting death

Lars Itzo sentenced to 15 years behind bars

SAN ANTONIO – A jury decided that Lars Itzo, who was convicted in the shooting death of his wife, Debra Kelly, will spend 15 years behind bars.

He was also fined $10,000.

Jurors deliberated for more than eight hours Friday and came out very emotional about a decision that was tough for them.

About 6 p.m., jurors said they were deadlocked 10-2, but after further deliberation they came to a unanimous decision.

Itzo did not show any emotion when the punishment was handed down, but his family members cried.

On Thursday, after more than seven hours of deliberation, the jury found Itzo guilty of manslaughter and not guilty of murder.

Itzo shot and killed his wife in their home. He said he thought she was in bed and thought the person he saw was an intruder.

After the punishment was handed down, Kelly’s father told Itzo he didn’t think the punishment was stringent enough.

“You said it was a split second. You got to decide in a split second. And it just infuriated me because I don't know how many bad decisions (you) made getting to that split-second place,” Kelly’s father said.

Itzo’s sentence starts Friday, and the judge gave him credit for the time he’s already served.


About the Author:

Courtney Friedman anchors KSAT’s weekend evening shows and reports during the week. Her ongoing Loving in Fear series confronts Bexar County’s domestic violence epidemic. She joined KSAT in 2014 and is proud to call the SA and South Texas community home. She came to San Antonio from KYTX CBS 19 in Tyler, where she also anchored & reported.