Saturday, August 31, 2024
Another suspect is facing a prison sentence related to the murder of Waco resident Elizabeth Romero, according to a press release from the office of District Attorney Dustin H. Boyd.
Gatesville resident Erin Bailey Finchum, 37, was found guilty by a Coryell County jury on Monday for the offense of murder, a first-degree felony, and tampering with physical evidence, a third-degree felony, in the case involving Romero.
Finchum is facing five to 99 years at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for the conviction of murder and two to 10 years for the conviction of tampering.
The district attorney’s office says Romero’s family was present in the courtroom for the verdict. Finchum’s sentencing will be set at a later time.
In January, the district attorney’s office announced that the first suspect, Jessica Colleen Robinson, of Gatesville, was sentenced to 47 years in prison for the murder of Romero.
The cases involving the two other suspects, Cody Gene Ayers and Betsy Ayers Robinson, are still pending, according to the release.
“The CCSO and the Texas Rangers worked diligently to piece together a timeline of events and identify potential suspects leading to the arrest of Jessica Colleen Robinson, Betsy Ayers Robinson, Erin Bailey Finchum, and Cody Gene Ayers, for their involvement in the death of Elizabeth Romero,” the release states.
Finchum was arrested and booked at the Coryell County Jail in November 2022 on charges of murder and tampering/fabricating physical evidence related to the murder of Romero, according to a press release by the Coryell County Sheriff’s Office.
Background
Romero was originally reported missing by Waco police in April 2022 after her family lost contact with her. A filed complaint states that Romero was known by her family to frequent Gatesville. The last ping on her phone from April 2, 2022, revealed an area near Gatesville.
In May 2022, the Coryell County Sheriff’s Office received a tip suggesting that Romero may have been murdered at the 800 block of Moccasin Bend Road and that her body had been loaded “in a blue pickup and dumped off a bridge,” according to the complaint. It was reported to authorities that Finchum and Robinson were both involved in Romero’s murder.
Finchum was first arrested on May 19, 2022 on an unrelated charge of assault causing bodily injury. When she was first interviewed by investigators, she “denied any knowledge.” Finchum later told investigators that she was present when Robinson shot Romero with a small caliber revolver “somewhere in the upper chest twice” while in the living room at the Moccasin Bend address.
According to the complaint, investigators with the Texas Rangers and Coryell County Sheriff's Office also spoke with Robinson’s mother, Betsy Ayers Robinson, who admitted that “her daughter Jessica shot Elizabeth at the house but does not know where the body was dumped.” Ayers Robinson allowed investigators to search her blue Chevrolet truck, where they found a necklace with hair, beer cans, a cell phone, and stains that tested positive for human blood.
Jessica Robinson was first arrested on May 19, 2022 on a charge of property theft. Another arrest affidavit states that Romero was also involved in the theft, which took place at a construction site around March 31, 2022.
According to the affidavit, a construction worker had taken a video of Robinson and Romero after they allegedly stole 10 sheets of plywood from the property. The owner of the property posted the video to Facebook. Romero contacted the owner via social media and admitted her involvement with Robinson.
The affidavit states that the vehicle used in the theft was a blue Chevrolet truck, which belonged to Betsy Ayers Robinson.
Jessica Robinson was charged with murder on May 20, 2022.
Ayers Robinson has also been charged with murder and tampering with evidence, according to a previous report by The Messenger. She remains in custody at the Coryell County Jail on over $1 million in bond.
The fourth suspect, Cody Gene Ayers, was charged with tampering with evidence. He was released in August 2022 after posting a $20,000 bond.
A spokesperson with the Coryell County Sheriff's Office said Romero's remains were found shortly after the arrests.
