A Henderson County jury has convicted John Bailey Hefley III of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Tampering with Evidence, sentencing him to 25 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The trial took place in the 3rd District Court before Judge Mark Calhoon. Assistant District Attorneys Jeff Herrington and Katy Colts prosecuted the case.
Evidence presented showed that on February 8, 2024, Eustace Police Officer Tom Atkinson attempted to stop Hefley’s vehicle on U.S. Highway 175 for a traffic violation. During the stop, Officer Atkinson observed the car swerve and a small dark object being thrown from the window. Upon stopping the vehicle, Hefley, the driver, claimed the object was a cigarette box but appeared visibly nervous. Officer Atkinson discovered Hefley had an outstanding warrant and recovered the discarded item—a blue bag containing 6.42 grams of methamphetamine, confirmed by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Following the conviction, the jury was presented with Hefley’s criminal history, which included an 8-year prison sentence in 2018 for Assault Against a Family Member and a 6-year sentence in 2011 for Assault Family Violence with a Prior Conviction. He also had felony convictions in 2005 and 2018 for drug possession and theft.
District Attorney Jenny Palmer stated, “We are grateful to the jury for holding this defendant accountable. This case is a reminder that drug possession and attempts to destroy evidence will be taken seriously in our community.”
The case was investigated by the Eustace Police Department.
