DALLAS — A Dallas County jury sentenced a 28-year-old man to 40 years in prison after convicting him of murdering his roommate and leaving her inside a burning house.
Zachary Rashod Anderson was found guilty of murder on May 1, 2026, in the death of 54-year-old Simona Ulanda Walker.
According to prosecutors, Anderson and Walker were roommates who were facing eviction from the home they rented together. On the evening of Sept. 4, 2024, Anderson set two mattresses on fire in adjoining rooms before shooting Walker approximately 17 times with a .22-caliber Marlin rifle.
Authorities said Anderson then left Walker inside the burning residence and walked to a nearby parking lot, where he told an off-duty police officer that he had just shot his roommate.
Later that night, Anderson claimed to investigators that he acted in self-defense. However, prosecutors presented evidence showing that Anderson's account was not supported by the facts uncovered during the investigation.
A Dallas County jury ultimately rejected the self-defense claim and found Anderson guilty of murder.
Prosecutors credited Dallas Police Detective Kenneth Castoral and the Dallas Police Department for conducting the investigation that led to the conviction.
The case was prosecuted by Lead Prosecutor Robin Ogbonna and Second Chair Dalerie Moore, with assistance from District Attorney Investigator Victor Vasquez and Paralegal Sacoria Gates.
Walker was remembered by family and friends as a hardworking mother with a bright smile, quick wit and kind spirit.
Born in Longview on Jan. 12, 1970, Walker grew up in Texarkana and graduated from Texas High School in 1988. She later moved to Dallas, where she raised three children and built a life centered on family.
Walker is survived by her children, Erica Sade Love, Andrew Walker and Glenda Walker; her brother, Jason Brown; sister, Stephanie Roberson; several grandchildren; and other family members.
The jury sentenced Anderson to 40 years in prison following his conviction.
