Overview

• A Harris County jury found Tony Earls Jr. guilty of manslaughter on Tuesday after about an hour of deliberation for the 2022 shooting that killed 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez.
• The punishment phase opened Wednesday, with Arlene’s mother, Wendy Alvarez, giving emotional testimony and Earls addressing jurors about his actions and remorse.
• Prosecutors introduced evidence of 2023 confrontations involving Earls and his stepson, including an alleged gun threat outside a Houston gas station, as jurors assess punishment.
• At trial, prosecutors leaned on synchronized video, audio analysis, and 3D reconstructions to argue Earls alone fired 10 shots, while the defense cited stress-driven ‘fight-or-flight’ responses and disputed the shot count.
• The robber who held up Earls and his wife before the shooting remains unidentified, and jurors can consider probation because Earls has no prior felony convictions.