Mullins pleads guilty, sentenced to 55 years

Julius Orion Xavier Mullins, 19, of Olney, pleaded guilty in the 90th Judicial District on Thursday, May 28, to three different charges in connection with the death of Olney High School teacher Manuela Allen, who was found near Lake Cooper in Archer County in 2019.

Mullins was arrested on July 15, 2019 on murder charges after Allen’s body was found at Lake Cooper on July 7, 2019. He pleaded guilty on May 28 to one count of murder, one count of changing or tampering with physical evidence with intent to impair a human corpse and one count of burglary of a habitation.

District Attorney Dee Peavy and Assistant District Attorney Phillip Gregory made a recommendation to 90th District Judge Stephen Bristow to sentence Mullins to 55 years for the murder charge, 20 years for the tampering with evidence charge and 20 years for burglary of a habitation. Judge Bristow accepted Mullins' plea and his sentences will run concurrent with 318 days credit for time served.

“I am going to follow the state’s recommendations,” Judge Bristow said. “(...) based on the plea of guilty and the plea memorandum that’s entered in Cause #11362 I will find you guilty of the offense of murder, I will sentence you to 55 years in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, a $10,000 fine, cost in the amount of $305. In Cause #11468, based on the plea of guilty and the plea memorandum that’s entered, I will find you guilty of tampering with physical evidence with intent to impair a human corpse, a second degree felony, I will assess your penalty at 20 years confinement in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, no fine and a cost in the amount $355. In Cause #11469, based on the plea of guilty and the plea memorandum that’s entered, I will find you guilty of the offense of burglary of a habitation, a second degree felony, I will assess your penalty at 20 years confinement in the institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and no fine and cost in the amount of $305.”

For the full story, see the Saturday, May 30 edition of The Graham Leader.