SPRING, TX – An all-female jury has sentenced a Texas man to 10 years in prison for the murder of his wife. The notably rare jury panel reviewed a video that documented the shooting.
Carey Birmingham was seen on video shooting his wife, Patricia Birmingham, in their Spring home after a heated argument, even audibly saying, “Alright, goodbye. You’re (going to) meet Jesus,” before pulling the trigger. The couple’s daughter, Olivia, was at school when the incident occurred. The young woman has lost both parents, as she sees her father as a completely different person following the violent act.
The recorded audio prior to the shooting revealed a 30-minute argument between the couple, an altercation originally sparked by Carey learning about Patricia’s supposed affair. Emotions escalated as the argument progressed.
Defending his client, Attorney Anthony Osso shared Carey’s strategy of accepting responsibility while convincing jurors that the moment of the shooting was a heat-of-the-moment reaction. According to Osso, their defense wasn’t about justification, instead focusing on why Carey did what he did.
Olivia, however, finds her father’s defense rather doubtful. She believes that the decision to kill must have been developing within him for some time to be able to perpetrate such an act upon someone he supposedly loved. After serving a minimum of five years, Carey will be eligible for parole.
Making a statement in court, Olivia pointed out that no matter what was argued during the trial, her father knew the kind of woman her mother was and what he had done. Patricia was her favorite person in the world and she feels robbed of her presence. Despite never having witnessed her father physically abusing her mom, Olivia spoke of the emotional and financial abuses her mother experienced. While she still holds love for her father, forgiveness is beyond reach for her.