Repeat offender receives two consecutive life sentences for raping 16-year-old in San Jacinto County

A jury in the 411th District Court, presided over by the Honorable Judge Wells, found 61-year-old Gary Lynn Ellis guilty of one count of sexual abuse of a child and one count of sexual assault of a child. The verdict was reached after testimony from eight witnesses called by the prosecution over a two-day period.

During the penalty phase, the jury imposed a life sentence and the maximum fine of $10,000 on Ellis. Judge Wells ruled that the sentences would run consecutively, so Ellis will remain incarcerated for life. The prosecution was led by First Assistant District Attorney Rob Freyer and Assistant District Attorney Alyssa Marshall.

The case began in June 2022 when a 16-year-old girl was offered a ride to Livingston by a man she met on FM 1097. This kind gesture turned into a harrowing experience as the girl was sexually assaulted in the man’s truck in rural San Jacinto County. After the assault, she was dropped off in Livingston and immediately reported the crime to her mother.

A medical examination conducted by Coroner Patricia Scofield provided evidence of the assault. Detective Sergeant Omar Sheikh of the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation and obtained video and cell phone recordings that corroborated the victim’s account. Coroner Norma Carmona of Children’s Safe Harbor conducted an extensive interview with the victim.

DNA evidence from the medical examination confirmed Ellis as the perpetrator. Further investigation revealed that Ellis was a registered sex offender who had been convicted of burglary with intent to commit sexual assault in 1986. He had also been convicted of failure to register as a sex offender and possession of a prohibited weapon.

First Assistant District Attorney Freyer and Assistant District Attorney Marshall expressed their satisfaction with the verdict and emphasized the community’s commitment to protecting children.

“This verdict underscores once again that the citizens of San Jacinto County value their most important and precious resource – our children – the most. This jury’s verdict demonstrates that when individuals come here and commit the most egregious acts ever known to man, and when the state identifies the perpetrators and proves their guilt, nothing less than hell will be expected for this horrific and heinous conduct,” prosecutors said in a joint statement.

They also praised the cooperation in reaching a verdict and acknowledged the efforts of Sergeant Sheikh, Analyst Solis, Interviewer Carmona and RN Schofield.

“This was a 100 percent team effort. We applaud and commend the hard work and dedication of Sergeant Sheik, Analyst Solis, Interviewer Carmona and RN Schofield in achieving this well-deserved outcome. We look forward to working with them and all who share their commitment to ensure the integrity of the victims and the complete safety of the community. Such behavior will not be tolerated here and never will be,” they said.