Texas Man Sentenced for Murder, Assault, Fentanyl Distribution

A man in south Texas has been given two 50-year prison sentences after pleading guilty to charges including murder, aggravated assault, and drug delivery that resulted in the overdose death of two men.

Jefferson County is undoubtedly a safer place with this defendant in prison.

Prosecutor Tommy L. Coleman, said about the case.

Details Revealed on the Texas Murder Charge

After officers in Beaumont, TX, responded to a call at the Stone Hearst Apartments on June 24, 2024, they discovered 62-year-old Lizzie Odom's lifeless body on the floor, stabbed multiple times.

As officers were investigating Odom's death, they received word that her vehicle, driven by Howard Dontay Celestine, 42, had been involved in an incident in a nearby part of town.

Celestine had reportedly been responsible for the stabbing death of Odom before stealing her vehicle which he used to ram into the home of his ex-girlfriend. He then attempted to force his way into the house, assaulting the woman's 2-year-old son in the process.
Read More: Texas Twin Stabbed in Heart, Dies in Brother's Arms

Armed with a knife, Celestine tried to stab his ex-girlfriend, but she was able to defend herself, sending Celestine to flee instead. He drove the car as far away as he could before it died from the impact into the house, and he continued to flee on foot.

This was when Beaumont PD caught Celestine, ordering him to stand down. After repeated failures to comply, Celestine was tased and taken into custody.

Officers discovered an extensive criminal record for Howard Celestine, including convictions of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and a felony offense of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance.

Two men overdosed on fentanyl in January of 2024 after purchasing what they believed was Percocet. In reality, the pills that Celestine sold them were laced with fentanyl.

Celestine's Prison Sentences

Following Celestine's guilty plea, the judge sentenced him to 50 years in prison for the murder of Lizzie Odom, 50 years for the aggravated assault of his ex-girlfriend, 2 years for the assault of her son, and 20 years for the drug delivery case.

His sentences will run concurrently, and Celestine will be eligible for parole after he serves half his sentence on the murder and aggravated assault charges.