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Katy man sentenced in 2016 death of Air Force vet

The two were acquaintances and officials said a motive for the 29-year-old's murder was never discovered.
Credit: Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office
Earl James Semien

RICHMOND, Texas — A Katy man has been sentenced in the 2016 Christmas Eve execution of a U.S. Air Force veteran.

Earl James Semien, 54, plead guilty to murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon on March 12, 2019. 

He was sentenced to 35 years and 10 years, respectively, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office.

Semien had been indicted for the murder of Christopher Battelli, 29, who was shot once in the head as he sat in his parked vehicle outside of the Southland Bar and Grill in Katy, Texas. 

While the two men were acquaintances, a motive for the killing was never discovered.

According to a witness, Semien had possessed a firearm for approximately three weeks before the murder. 

Immediately following the murder, Semien handed the firearm to a friend and told the friend to “get rid of it because it had a body on it.” 

Semien was a felon at the time of the murder, which by law prohibited him from legally possessing a firearm.

Many of Battelli's friends and family members were in the courtroom during the sentencing.

“Chris Battelli served our country and received numerous decorations for his service, only to be executed in cold blood by someone he knew, for no apparent reason,” said lead prosecutor Lesleigh Morton. 

“Hopefully Semien’s sentence will begin to bring Chris’s family closure, but I know they, and we, will always wonder why Semien executed Chris as Chris sat unsuspectingly in his vehicle. It is haunting to think of the last few minutes of Chris’s life, but make no mistake about it – he will forever be remembered as the kind, gentle, fun-loving person that touched the lives of those around him.”

Semien was not probation eligible, and under Texas law, must serve at least half of his sentence before being considered for parole.

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