On September 20, 2024, a Tarrant County jury found 25-year-old Francis Sparks guilty of murder, sentencing him to 25 years in prison for the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Tommy Ray Freney III. The incident occurred on August 4, 2022, when Fort Worth Police were called to the Westside Saloon at 3137 Alta Mere Dr. for a fight around 2:15 AM.
Sparks, a documented gang member, fired 14 rounds during the altercation, with one bullet striking Freney in the head, killing him instantly. Freney, originally from Wichita Falls and raised in south Fort Worth, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The case was investigated by the Fort Worth Police Department, and the prosecution was led by Assistant District Attorneys Zachary Ashford and Katie Owens from the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office.
