Travis County Jury Convicts Man of Murder

Travis County, TX — On Thursday, February 5, 2026, a Travis County jury convicted Lavonta Harrison, 32, of murder for the death of Shelby Cody, 33.

For Harrison’s trial, a jury was selected on Monday, February 2, 2026, and the State began presenting witnesses and evidence on the following day. On Thursday, February 5, 2026, the jury deliberated for about an hour and found him guilty of murder. On Friday, February 6, 2026, the jury sentenced Harrison to serve 40 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

During their investigation, Austin Police Department detectives stated that on November 7, 2024, Harrison fatally shot Shelby Cody near the 6400 block of East U.S. Service Road. Cody was outside a building heading to attend a Batterer Intervention and Prevention Program course when Harrison arrived in his vehicle, got out, and shot him. The detectives confirmed that the two were assigned to the same class. On November 12, 2024, the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force tracked down and arrested Harrison on a parole violation warrant.

On December 31, 2024, a Travis County grand jury indicted Harrison for the offense of Murder.

Assistant District Attorneys Kiera Kilday and Erik Nielsen presented the case against Lavonta Harrison with the support of Victim Counselor Lynn Cragg, Investigator Sean Gorham, Paralegal Diane Nanez, and Legal Secretary Darryl Jones. Austin Police Department Detectives Patrick Reed and Ericka Valenzuela investigated the case against Harrison.  

“Cody’s life was tragically cut short, leaving his family to cope with the pain of loss,” said Travis County District Attorney José Garza. “We hope this verdict helps the victim’s family in their healing process. Our office is grateful to our committed staff and law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to hold the defendant accountable and secure justice for Cody and his family.

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