Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Fashion Central
The Fashion Central
Mason Evans

Mark Ruffalo defends Billie Eilish after Kevin O’Leary’s criticism of her Anti-ICE Grammys speech

Monica Schipper/Getty Images; Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images; VALERIE MACON / AFP via Getty Images

The capital murder trial of a Texas man accused of killing his own mother in front of his young daughter began this week in San Antonio. Frank Falcon, 47, is charged with one count of capital murder, according to Bexar County court records.

Prosecutors allege Falcon shot and killed 66-year-old Linda Webster during a violent confrontation at her home on Gillette Boulevard on July 14, 2022. Linda’s husband, 67-year-old Mark Webster, who is Falcon’s stepfather, was also shot and injured.

Falcon’s daughter, who was 9 years old at the time, was reportedly inside the house during the shooting but was not physically harmed. Police were called to the home at around 2 a.m. and arrived to find Linda Webster dead.

Mark Webster was still alive but suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Falcon was initially arrested on an additional charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, though that charge was later dropped after he was indicted in October 2022.

Billie Eilish
(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Prosecutors claim the killing was sparked by a dispute over eviction and unpaid property taxes. According to a report from San Antonio ABC affiliate KSAT, Falcon had been allowed to live rent-free in another property owned by his mother, under an agreement that he would cover the property taxes.

But in 2022, the Websters allegedly received a $10,000 bill showing that they had not paid taxes for 4 years. Prosecutors say that discovery led the couple to evict Falcon. Much of the trial has focused on Mark Webster’s identification of the alleged shooter. While he has repeatedly pointed to Falcon, defense attorneys have highlighted inconsistencies in his recollection.

During a pretrial hearing held outside the jury’s presence, Mark Webster reportedly answered questions while crying, according to the San Antonio Express-News. He admitted struggling with his memory but said he would have been surprised if he had not identified Falcon to the police.

According to authorities, he did identify him. In his first 911 call, Webster said it was “probably Frank Falcon” who committed the shooting, language the defense used in an attempt to suppress evidence. Webster later told a detective he was unsure and described the shooter as a “black shadow.”

However, jurors were later shown police body camera footage where Webster stated, “I think it was Frank Falcon, my stepson.” Prosecutors also presented forensic evidence during opening statements.

View on Threads

Assistant District Attorney Lauren Scott told jurors that a bullet recovered from Linda Webster’s body matched a gun found in Falcon’s vehicle after his arrest. The defense waived its opening statement.

On Wednesday, jurors heard testimony from one of the responding officers, who described Falcon’s behavior when police arrived. “What stood out was he had black latex gloves on,” the officer said, according to KSAT.

The officer testified that the gloves were later found on the ground and were shown in court. Jurors also heard Falcon fled the scene and was eventually subdued with a Taser-like device.

Another point of contention involves a letter sent to the Webster home after the shooting. Mark Webster testified that he believed it came from Falcon because it had a Bexar County jail return address. The letter, addressed to Linda Webster’s granddaughter, read: “I am sorry for what I did to your grandma.”

If convicted, Falcon faces an automatic sentence of life in prison.

READ NEXT

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.