Mesquite Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Shooting Sleeping Friend in Back of Head, Trading Murder Weapon for Tattoos
MESQUITE, Texas — A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for murdering his friend while he slept inside a Mesquite apartment, then trading the gun used in the killing to a tattoo artist in exchange for tattoos.
Jonah Elisha McFall, 27, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced September 22, 2026, as part of an agreed plea before the court.
The victim, Ricardo Lawrence, 32, was killed around February 10, 2023.
According to prosecutors, McFall and Lawrence were friends and had been spending time together at Lawrence's apartment when Lawrence went to sleep.
McFall later claimed Lawrence had made a veiled threat against his grandmother. Prosecutors said McFall responded by grabbing a gun, approaching Lawrence as he slept and shooting him in the back of the head.
Apartment Employees Discover Victim's Body
Lawrence's body was discovered by apartment employees who went to his unit to serve an eviction notice.
The employees noticed a strong odor coming from inside the apartment. Finding the door unlocked, they opened it and discovered Lawrence's body lying on his mattress.
Mesquite police launched a homicide investigation and used surveillance footage from several locations to track McFall's movements before and after the killing.
Investigators traced the vehicle McFall had been driving to his grandmother. They also reviewed footage from Flock license plate recognition cameras, Mesquite police pole-mounted trailer cameras, city traffic cameras and surveillance systems at a Taco Casa restaurant and Murphy Express gas station.
Murder Weapon Traded for Tattoos After Killing
Following his arrest, McFall told a detective that he had gotten three tattoos in the days after Lawrence's murder: a teardrop, a snake and a revolver.
McFall explained that he chose the snake and gun tattoos because he "got the snake before it could get him."
Investigators also learned that McFall had traded the gun used to kill Lawrence to the tattoo artist as payment for the tattoos. According to prosecutors, the tattoo artist was unaware that the firearm had been used in a murder.
At the time, McFall also had a separate obstruction or retaliation case pending in which he was accused of threatening to kill a Garland police officer and the officer's family.
Prosecutors said McFall became involved in a fight with jail staff while being booked into custody on that charge.
Guilty Plea Results in 35-Year Prison Sentence
McFall entered an agreed guilty plea before the court on September 22, 2026, and received a 35-year prison sentence for Lawrence's murder.
The case was prosecuted by Matthew McCurdy, with assistance from district attorney investigators John Valdez, Martin Bosse and Emily Carrasquillo.
Victim advocate Sandra Walker and paralegal Patzy Butler also assisted with the case.
The Mesquite Police Department was the investigating agency.
