Man gets life sentence for murder in 1996 Hopkins County cold case

HOPKINS COUNTY, Texas (KETK) – William Doyle Magness was sentenced to life in prison on Friday after a jury found him guilty of the 1996 murder of Hopkins County woman Geraldine Blackmon.

According to 8th Judicial District Attorney Will Ramsay, Blackmon was shot at her home in Mahoney on March 13, 1996. Her murder went unsolved for decades until a rifle, that belonged to Blackmon’s then neighbor William Doyle Magness, was revealed to be the weapon that killed her in 2025.

“The case remained unsolved until the Spring of 2025 when Hopkins County Investigators Shea Shaw and Chris Baumann, along with Texas Ranger Warren Williamson, traveled to Magness’s home in Midlothian, Texas, to speak with him. Law Enforcement was granted consent to enter the home, and Mr. Magness began showing them his Thompson Center barrels,” Ramsay’s office said in a statement. “Magness unrolled a blanket and displayed a Thompson Center 308 rifle that had never been seen by law enforcement until that moment. The barrel was seized as evidence and sent to the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Lab in Tyler for ballistic testing. The results of such testing revealed that the 308 rifle barrel in Magness’s possession was the same barrel that fired the bullet jacket that killed Geraldine Blackmon in 1996.”

After Magness’ arrest on July 8, 2025, Ramsey’s office presented evidence during his trial that included a journal entry found in his home where Magness allegedly claimed he could get away with any crime.

The jury also got to hear testimony on Magness’ character from two of his former spouses, his stepdaughter and several other women who spoke to other crimes Magness allegedly committed.

“This is a day that very easily could have never happened without the dedication and hard work of the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office. I want to specifically thank the family of Geraldine Blackmon for their continued pursuit of justice. The case would have never moved forward but-for lead investigator Shea Shaw taking the initiative to go speak with Magness after so many years had transpired without progress,” Ramsay said. “Thanks also to Cherry Allen, Gary Littrell, Toney Hurley and Jerry Duncan for their work on the case in 1996. Last, but not least, some incredible women courageously took the stand to testify about their former relationship with Bill Magness. Their testimony was difficult but powerful. Ultimately, there were 10,986 days that passed between Geraldine’s death and Bill Magness’s life sentence, but the long arm of justice held fast. I appreciate this Hopkins County jury who heard the evidence and put this guy where he belongs for the rest of his natural life.”

The jury returned a guilty against Magness in under 20 minutes and then they returned a maximum sentence of life in prison in less than 30 minutes on Friday.