Tex McIver: Ex-Atlanta lawyer convicted of killing wife could be released next year after plea deal

FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA: Former Atlanta attorney Claud Lee "Tex" McIver III, previously convicted of killing his wife, could be released from prison as early as next year after accepting a plea deal on January 26.

McIver pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in exchange for an eight-year prison sentence, a significant departure from the life sentence imposed in 2018.

Attorney Amanda Clark Palmer revealed that McIver is "immediately eligible for parole" and could potentially be released before the fall of 2025, marking his maximum term. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney hailed the plea deal as a "healthier and cleaner way" to achieve justice, emphasizing the tragic loss of Diane McIver as "a bright light that was snuffed out," according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Timeline of Claud Lee 'Tex' McIver III's conviction

Initially convicted in 2018 of felony murder and possession of a firearm during a felony in the 2016 shooting death of Diane McIver, Claud Lee maintained that the incident was accidental. The Georgia Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 2022 after a 2020 appeal.

The tragic event occurred on September 25, 2016, as McIver, Diane, and her friend Dani Jo Carter were returning from a weekend at the McIvers' property. The husband, seated in the back passenger seat, requested his wife to hand him his .38-caliber revolver, which was in a plastic bag.

Was Diane McIver's shooting financially motivated?

At a traffic light, a gunshot went off, striking Diane in the back. She succumbed to internal injuries during surgery.

Despite efforts to label the shooting as accidental, prosecutors argued that McIver changed his story multiple times, alleging financial motives in Diane's death as she had “regularly transferred money to McIver," as per Fox. The defense contended that the shooting was unintentional, with a firearms expert stating the gun would not have fired without the trigger being pulled.

In court on January 26, McIver expressed deep remorse, acknowledging his responsibility for Diane's death and stating, "She died as a result of my actions, plain and simple." He wore his wedding ring as a symbol of enduring love, intending to keep it until his death. Judge McBurney remarked, “Mr McIver shouldn’t have had that loaded gun in his hand with his finger on the trigger. For those who seek purely punishment through this process, you’re going to be disappointed.”