A 25-year-old man convicted of killing his 19-year-old girlfriend has been on the run since January, and authorities in eastern Texas are stepping up their search.
Matthew Edgar, 25, has been a fugitive since he failed to show up for his murder trial in late January.
Even though he didn't show up, Edgar's trial proceeded. A jury found him guilty of killing his 19-year-old girlfriend, Livye Lewis. He received a 99-year prison sentence.
Lewis, who lived in Hemphill, was murdered on Oct. 31, 2020, in Texas' Sabine County.
According to prosecutors, Lewis was found dead in a vehicle from blunt force trauma and a shotgun blast to the neck.
Officers found Edgar nearby, lying in the fetal position, covered in blood.
Edgar said the two had attended a party, but he claimed he didn't remember anything from that night. Witnesses reported that the two had argued because Edgar was mad that Lewis was speaking to another man. Lewis left the party on her own, and Edgar, officials said, chased after her in his car.
Police charged Edgar with the murder in November of 2020. But in April 2021, against the objections of prosecutors, a judge granted him a $50,000 bond, which he posted. Since then, he has been out of custody and is now on the run.
During the trial, prosecutors shared text messages from Edgar's phone, including one from the morning of Nov. 1, 2020. A friend of Edgar's texted asking about Lewis' whereabouts, and Edgar replied, "dead."
Lewis's mother, Darci Bass, told KPLC-TV that she'd like to see her daughter's killer behind prison bars serving out his sentence.
"The pain of losing her, it's not ever going to change," Bass said to the station. "I just want to start healing, you know. I mean, I am never going to walk the same. It's like I've lost a limb, all of my limbs, and I'm learning to crawl again."
Addressing Edgar, Bass said, "Do what is right. You can't hide from the lord."
A Facebook page run by Bass announced Wednesday that the reward for information leading to the arrest of Matthew Edgar had reached $10,000.
There have been many tips coming in, but none have yet panned out.
Anyone with information about Edgar's whereabouts is urged to call 911 or 409-787-2266.
