The Renard Spivey Murder Case: TV Bailiff Acquitted in Wife’s Death

The Renard Spivey murder case ended in acquittal on December 6, 2023, when a Houston jury found the former Harris County sheriff’s deputy and syndicated courtroom television bailiff not guilty in the July 2019 shooting death of his wife, Patricia Spivey. Spivey had spent more than four years awaiting trial after being charged with murder two days after the shooting. He testified that the gun discharged during a struggle in the couple’s bedroom closet; prosecutors argued he shot her deliberately after she threatened to leave him.

What Happened the Night of the Shooting

Just after 3 a.m. on July 28, 2019, Renard Spivey called 911 from the couple’s home on Briscoe Street in Houston and reported “shots fired and accidental shooting.”¹ Officers found 52-year-old Patricia Spivey dead in the master bedroom closet with multiple gunshot wounds, including a fatal shot that pierced her lungs and heart. Renard, then 63, had a gunshot wound to his leg.²

On the call, Spivey told the operator, “Me and my wife had an argument. … I accidentally shot her.” He was detained at the scene and taken to a hospital. On July 29, 2019, he was formally charged with murder.³ Court documents identified him as a flight risk and a danger to the community, but he posted a $50,000 bond within 48 hours.⁴

Who Patricia Spivey Was

Patricia Ann Marshall-Spivey, born March 11, 1967, had worked at Houston Methodist Hospital for 31 years, starting in the mailroom and rising to executive administrative assistant to the hospital’s supply chain manager. She was survived by her daughter, Patrina Marshall, her father, and five brothers.⁵

Who Renard Spivey Was

Spivey joined the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in 1996 as a detention officer, was promoted to deputy in 1998, and began working in court operations in 2016.⁶ He resigned in July 2019 after his arrest.⁷ From 2012 to 2016, he appeared as the bailiff on the syndicated show Justice for All with Judge Cristina Perez, taping more than 100 episodes over a nine-year association with the program.⁸ According to Spivey, the show stopped taping with him after the arrest.²

The State of the Marriage

Patricia’s daughter, Patrina Marshall, said the couple “argued quite a bit” and that tensions grew after they moved into a new home. Patricia’s childhood friend, Ezra Washington, described Renard as controlling and testified that Patricia suspected Renard was using steroids, which she believed changed his demeanor and contributed to a lack of intimacy. Washington said Patricia told him days before the shooting that she was “fed up” and planning to leave. Renard denied that account.²

Trial evidence showed Patricia had been researching infidelity online and suspected Renard of cheating, partly because of missing prescription pills including testosterone and Cialis.⁹ No formal domestic violence reports or protective orders were documented before the shooting.

The Prosecution’s Theory

The trial began November 28, 2023, in the 185th District Criminal Court, with Judge Andrea Beall presiding and prosecutors Stephany Abner and Mary McFaden leading the state’s case.¹⁰ Prosecutors argued Spivey intentionally shot Patricia after she threatened to end the marriage. They theorized he fired four shots rather than three and that the fourth was a self-inflicted wound meant to stage the scene, pointing to a distinct sound on home surveillance roughly 90 seconds after the initial three gunshots.²

Consultant Lisa Andrews, a former prosecutor, analyzed the 911 call and cited Spivey’s calm demeanor, his failure to identify Patricia by name, and his breaks from CPR as signs of “consciousness of guilt.” In closing, McFaden asked why Patricia would point a gun she had never used before at her husband and noted that gunfire was recorded eight minutes after Patricia went to bed: “No one goes to sleep in three minutes.”¹¹

The Defense’s Account

Spivey took the stand and testified that he had taken Patricia’s phone from her nightstand and gone into the master closet. He said she followed him holding his Smith & Wesson semi-automatic handgun with her finger on the trigger. He said he was “scared for my life,” grabbed her wrist to disarm her, and during the struggle the gun discharged, first striking his leg, then firing twice more and hitting Patricia in the arm and chest.³

Lead defense attorney Dick DeGuerin emphasized that the firearm had no external safety and required only slight pressure to discharge. He argued that gunpowder burns on Spivey’s right hand showed he was gripping the gun as it fired and pointed to bruising on Patricia’s hands and wrists as consistent with a physical struggle over the weapon. The defense also stressed that investigators never swabbed the trigger for DNA, leaving it unproven whose finger fired the gun. Only three spent cartridges were recovered from the closet, and the defense argued the disputed fourth sound was a security camera clicking on.¹⁰

The Verdict and the Reactions

After roughly 12 hours of deliberation spread over two days, the jury returned a not guilty verdict on December 6, 2023.² The Harris County District Attorney’s Office noted that jurors had the option of convicting on the lesser charge of manslaughter but chose not to.¹² A spokesperson for the DA’s office declined to comment on the verdict.¹¹

DeGuerin said prosecutors “never proved whose finger was on the trigger.” Patricia’s daughter, Patrina Marshall, said, “I felt like I held my breath, and then ‘not guilty.’ … I don’t understand how they got there. I didn’t believe him.” Patricia’s cousin, Cybil Shepherd, said she was “numb” and did not believe Patricia “received justice at all.”² The murder case was expunged from Spivey’s record within weeks of the acquittal.¹³

What Has Happened to Spivey Since

Less than a year after the acquittal, Spivey was arrested around 2 a.m. on October 19, 2024, at the Forget Me Not lounge on Washington Avenue in Houston after a waitress accused him of stealing $400 from her fanny pack. According to the accusation, Spivey had given the waitress $600 to cover other patrons’ tabs and told her the remainder was her tip; she later discovered the cash missing. A bar manager reported that Spivey swung his arm toward the waitress during a confrontation and she pushed him away.¹³

Spivey was charged with theft from a person, and prosecutors secured a felony indictment in March 2025. He appeared in court on March 18, 2025, with his attorney, Joseph Vredevelt, who said “the matter will be resolved favorably.” The case remains pending.¹⁴

1
MuckRock. Renard Spivey Patricia Spivey Murder Cases Houston Police Department
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CBS News. Renard Spivey TV Bailiff Wife Patricia Spivey Shooting Death
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CBS News. Renard Spivey TV Bailiff Murder Acquittal Interview
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6abc. Deputy Accused of Killing Wife During Fight Over Sex
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O.W. Wiley Mortuary. Patricia Marshall-Spivey Obituary
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ABC30. Deputy Accused of Killing Wife During Fight Over Sex
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Fox 26 Houston. Former Harris County Deputy Charged With Murdering His Wife Found Not Guilty
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Oxygen. Renard Spivey Bailiff Featured on Court TV Show Arrested Wife Murder
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Houston Chronicle. Renard Spivey Testifies at Trial
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Houston Chronicle. Renard Spivey Jury Deliberations
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Houston Chronicle. Renard Spivey Acquitted of Murder
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KHOU / Click2Houston. Jury Acquits Former Harris County Deputy Accused in Wife’s Murder
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Houston Chronicle. Renard Spivey Houston Bailiff Theft Waitress
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ABC13. Former Harris Deputy Renard Spivey Acquitted of Murder Now Accused of Stealing From Waitress