Woman’s Life Sentence Upheld in Husband’s Death

GILMER � The life sentence for a former Upshur County jailer who was found guilty of killing her 10th husband in 2011 has been upheld by the Sixth Court of Appeals in Texarkana. KETK reports Sharon Anne Maxwell was sentenced to life in prison in August 2012 after she was found guilty of slaying Gordon Maxwell on August 30, 2011, at their home off State Highway 155, just north of Gilmer. Evidence showed in the early morning hours of that date, Gordon Maxwell left Lone Star Steel, where he worked, and got to their house around 7:00 a.m. He and Sharon Maxwell took their kids to school at Ore City and got back home around 8:00 a.m.

According to the Upshur County District Attorney’s Office, the two began to argue after Gordon found out Sharon was cheating on him and he decided to leave her. Reports state Sharon then pulled a .22 caliber revolver and shot him four times. She then dragged Gordon’s body out the back door and into his truck and poured gasoline all over it before setting it on fire. The autopsy of Gordon’s body revealed there was no smoke in his lungs, indicating he was dead prior to being set on fire. Sharon Maxwell never testified during her trial, and her lawyer spoke on her behalf.