Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures Life Sentence Without Parole for Houston County Murderer

AUSTIN, TX -- Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office secured a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for a man convicted of brutally murdering a Houston County resident during a home invasion. Robert Lee Steveson, 66, was found guilty by a Houston County jury on Friday, August 7th, 2026 after a week-long trial for the offense of Capital Murder.

On the evening of May 21, 2024, Steveson broke into the Crockett home of his neighbor, longtime resident Herbert “Andy” Allen. Steveson, who was on parole for a 1979 murder and multiple sexual assaults, attacked Mr. Allen inside the home, striking him in the head more than 18 times and killing him. The murder weapon, described by the medical examiner as a heavy object with a sharp edge, was never recovered.

It was presented by multiple witnesses at trial that Mr. Allen was known to carry large sums of money in a blue bank bag. When law enforcement discovered Mr. Allen’s body, the bank bag and money were missing from his home.

A few weeks after the murder, the Crockett Police Department received a tip from a local citizen of Crockett who stated that Steveson was seen with large sums of cash shortly after the murder. During a subsequent interview at Steveson’s home, investigators discovered a partially burned blue bank bag in an outdoor burn barrel. The bag contained charred documents believed to belong to Mr. Allen. The missing cash was never recovered.

Following the trial, the 349th Judicial District Judge Mark Calhoon sentenced Steveson to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“This career criminal brutally murdered an innocent Texan in his own home, and now he will spend the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs,” said Attorney General Paxton. “I remain committed to seeking justice for all victims in this state. I also would like to commend the Crockett Police Department, who worked closely with my office in this case, for their tireless work and professionalism to see that justice was done.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Amanda Dillon, Assistant Attorney General Jamie Tillman and Attorney General Investigator Sgt. Brian Seales with the assistance of the Houston County District Attorney Daphne Session.