NEW CANEY, Texas – A man has been sentenced to life in prison for an aggravated robbery.
On Oct. 18, 2015, 49-year-old Dwayne Crowley Jr. entered the Flying J truck stop in New Caney, Texas, and held store employees at gunpoint, demanding they open the store’s safe.
Recommended Videos
Evidence at trial showed that in the process of emptying the safe, Crowley discharged his firearm, which ricocheted and hit a woman.
Video surveillance showed that Crowley had entered the store multiple times in the hours before the robbery, stealing store merchandise and casing the store to determine the location of the safe.
In an attempt to conceal his identity, Crowley changed parts of his wardrobe each time he entered the store.
The jury heard DNA evidence linking Crowley to the crime scene and saw the internet search history on Crowley's phone, which showed that in the hours following the robbery he searched for local defense attorneys as well as news stories relating to an aggravated robbery at the Flying J.
The jury found Crowley guilty in about seven minutes.
During the punishment phase of the trial, the judge learned that Crowley had been to prison at least twice for a total of six different felony offenses, including burglary of a building, burglary of a house, theft, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, possession of a weapon in a penal institution, and attempted murder.
In 1989, a jury sentenced Crowley to 99 years for the attempted murder. Crowley was released on parole on Feb. 14, 2012.
Due to Crowley’s extensive criminal history, his range of punishment was 25 years to life in prison.
Following the punishment phase, the judge sentenced Crowley to life in prison on the aggravated robbery charge.
"Despite his efforts to conceal his identify, the jury had no issue determining Crowley’s guilt," said lead prosecutor Amy Waddle. "Crowley has demonstrated his lack of regard for the lives of others by repeatedly committing violent crimes, and I believe the judge recognized that the only way to prevent him from endangering anyone else was to sentence him to life in prison. Violent offenders should know that Montgomery County does not take these crimes lightly."