A former special education teacher accused of fatally shooting his wife in 2023 while she was on a 911 call died this week after suffering a medical emergency in court, prosecutors in Texas confirmed.
The incident occurred on Friday, Sept. 26, at the 208th District Court in Houston’s Criminal Justice Center, where James Anderson was scheduled to be sentenced to 35 years in prison under a plea deal for the murder of his wife, Victoria Anderson, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release shared with PEOPLE.
“Shortly after arriving in court, Anderson experienced a medical emergency,” the release stated. “A bailiff for the court administered naloxone before EMS arrived. He was transported by the Houston Fire Department to Ben Taub Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:05 a.m.”
On Sept. 24, 2023, Victoria called 911 for help, reporting that her husband was threatening to shoot her, according to a statement from the City of Houston. Moments later, the dispatcher reportedly heard a gunshot.
When officers arrived at the Andersons’ home in Kingwood, James allegedly refused to step outside but allowed the couple’s 3-year-old son to exit the house, the statement said. James was arrested following an hours-long standoff with police.
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Once inside, officers found Victoria with a gunshot wound and pronounced her dead at the scene. Their son was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and later released.
James served as chair of the Special Education Department at Santa Fe Middle School, where he had worked since 2022. He was placed on administrative leave after the incident, local CBS affiliate KHOU11 reported.
At the time of Friday’s court appearance, James was out on a $300,000 bond and was expected to plead guilty, the D.A.’s office said.
Prosecutors added that the investigation is ongoing and that an autopsy will be conducted by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
