Hedley man gets life for assault on child

A Hedley man received a life sentence from a Collingsworth County jury last Thursday, January 17, for sexually assaulting a child.

Bryan Keith Price, age 42, was found guilty of the first degree felony offense of aggravated sexual assault of a child, under the age of fourteen. At the conclusion of the three-day jury trial, the jury sentenced Price to life in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Price, a Hedley resident, was arrested by the Donley County Sheriff’s Department on April 25, 2012. Price was later indicted by a Collingsworth County Grand Jury on June 27, 2012 for the first degree offense.

District Attorney Luke Inman prosecuted the case for the State of Texas with the Honorable Judge Stuart Messer presiding. During the State’s case in chief, the State called seven witnesses.

Testimony was provided by the victim to the present offense, Childress Independent School District Counselor Sherry Davis, Childress County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Danny Gillem, Donley County Sheriff Charles “Butch” Blackburn, Collingsworth County Deputy Kent Riley, Ian Diaz with the Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center, and Becky O’Neal, the coordinator for the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners at North West Texas Hospital.

“The jury heard testimony from a child who had to endure some of the most unimaginable things from her biological father,” said Inman. “That testimony was key in convicting this defendant which resulted in the life sentence he received from that jury.”

The jury convicted the defendant on Thursday morning after a short deliberation, and the State called three witnesses during the punishment phase of the trial.

Testimony from Gillem established that Price had been previously convicted of Indecency with a Child in 2001. The victim from that previous offense also testified and provided insight on how Price’s actions have affected her life ever since the incident.

Blackburn concluded the State’s evidence where he requested the maximum punishment allowed by law against Price.

After the close of evidence, the jury sentenced Price to life imprisonment.

The Texas Penal Code provides for a life sentence for the aggravated sexual assault of a child if a defendant has been previously convicted of a number of different offenses, including indecency with a child.

“These cases are always difficult for the victims and we appreciate this young victim’s cooperation that allowed us to go forward with this very emotional jury trial,” Inman said.

Sheriff Blackburn said he appreciated the jury’s decision.

“I think it was a very fitting sentence, and I want to say ‘thank you’ to the Collingsworth County jury,” Blackburn said. “I think Bryan Price is a very sick individual who needs to be locked up for the rest of his life.”

Blackburn told the Enterprise that Price will be eligible for parole in 30 years.

The sheriff also said Price is facing an additional aggravated sexual assault charge in Donley County with the same victim, and he hopes the district attorney will pursue that charge and “stack the sentences” so that Price never gets out of prison.

After the sentence by Messer, allocution statements were provided by both the victim’s mother and the victim, which was read by Hattie Sanderson, the crime victim’s assistance coordinator for the 100th Judicial District.

Both statements focused on the fact that the one person who should have been protecting the victim, the biological father, was the one person causing her the most harm.