Appeals Court Affirms a Henderson County Murder Conviction

TYLER – The 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler has upheld the conviction in a Henderson County murder case. The court upheld the conviction of Jeremy Robert Lane, 27, of Athens. He pleaded guilty to the August, 2016 murder of Mark Groendyk, 27, of New Jersey. The victim was stabbed multiple times at a party early that morning in Athens. Lane was arrested, in Smith County, around 17 hours later at a friends home on County Road 1100 near Flint. He was taken into custody without incident. In March of last year, Lane pleaded guilty. Four months later, State District Judge Dan Moore sentenced him to 35 years in prison.