Jeffrey Lee DeVore sentenced to life in prison for murder of girl
1 october 2026 в 20:02
A Texas resident, Jeffrey Lee DeVora, has been sentenced to life in prison for the «heinous» murder of his girlfriend after burned human remains were discovered in his yard. The judge issued the sentence on September 30, with relatives and friends of the victim, Tiffany Garza, present in the courtroom, according to District Attorney Audrey Gossett Lewis.
DeVora, 47, was found guilty of murdering Garza on August 13 and agreed to have the judge determine his sentence. He must serve 30 years in prison before he can apply for parole.
Tiffany Garza, who was 37 at the time of her death, was last seen on March 25, 2019, after which she was reported missing. At the time of her disappearance, she was living in Poteet, 30 miles south of San Antonio. Nearly four years after her disappearance, DeVora was arrested on murder charges, as reported by former Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward on March 22, 2023.
DeVora was identified as the suspected killer of Garza after investigators received information from a witness who claimed to have been present during the murder. This witness also reported helping «burn her body in DeVora’s yard». Investigators suspect that Garza was killed between March 28 and April 4, 2019.
After the witness spoke about the body burning, forensic experts from Texas State University found 14 fragments of human bones in a fire pit in DeVora’s backyard. These bones belonged to a woman aged between 22 and 56 years. Blood was also found in the house where the fire pit was located.
Although scientific analysis could not recover DNA from the bones, testing of blood samples yielded a DNA profile «matching the biological mother of Tiffany’s son and the biological daughter of Tiffany’s mother». DeVora also allegedly made compromising statements to his ex-girlfriend that aligned with the evidence of Garza’s murder and the witness’s testimony about burning her body.
«This life sentence means that the person who committed this heinous murder is no longer on our streets and is held accountable for taking Tiffany’s life», - said Prosecutor Lewis. «No punishment can bring back what her family has lost, but Tiffany’s life—and the truth about what happened to her—deserved every effort», - she added.
DeVora, 47, was found guilty of murdering Garza on August 13 and agreed to have the judge determine his sentence. He must serve 30 years in prison before he can apply for parole.
Tiffany Garza, who was 37 at the time of her death, was last seen on March 25, 2019, after which she was reported missing. At the time of her disappearance, she was living in Poteet, 30 miles south of San Antonio. Nearly four years after her disappearance, DeVora was arrested on murder charges, as reported by former Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward on March 22, 2023.
DeVora was identified as the suspected killer of Garza after investigators received information from a witness who claimed to have been present during the murder. This witness also reported helping «burn her body in DeVora’s yard». Investigators suspect that Garza was killed between March 28 and April 4, 2019.
After the witness spoke about the body burning, forensic experts from Texas State University found 14 fragments of human bones in a fire pit in DeVora’s backyard. These bones belonged to a woman aged between 22 and 56 years. Blood was also found in the house where the fire pit was located.
Although scientific analysis could not recover DNA from the bones, testing of blood samples yielded a DNA profile «matching the biological mother of Tiffany’s son and the biological daughter of Tiffany’s mother». DeVora also allegedly made compromising statements to his ex-girlfriend that aligned with the evidence of Garza’s murder and the witness’s testimony about burning her body.
«This life sentence means that the person who committed this heinous murder is no longer on our streets and is held accountable for taking Tiffany’s life», - said Prosecutor Lewis. «No punishment can bring back what her family has lost, but Tiffany’s life—and the truth about what happened to her—deserved every effort», - she added.
© Zhinobaeva Margarita
