Fort Worth Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2021 Roadside Murder

Carlus Qualls, 52, has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to a murder charge for the 2021 killing of Oscar Lavant Payton, 56. Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office confirmed the sentencing, delivered by a jury, following Qualls' admission of guilt.

On April 30, 2021, Qualls, a habitual offender, shot Payton in the back of the head before abandoning his body along the roadside in the 3200 block of Bourine Street in Fort Worth. The case was handled by prosecutors Steven Elliott and Peter Giesking, with the Fort Worth Police Department leading the investigation.