WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — A 26-year-old man who has been in jail in Wichita County since 2018 on a $2 million bond, took a plea deal for murder to avoid possible trial for capital murder.

Eric Lee was charged with the April 17, 2018 shooting of 28-year-old Matthew Liggins of Abilene.

On Tuesday, July 12, he pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 45 years in prison.

Liggins was found in the driver’s seat of a jeep on Juarez Street, with multiple gunshot wounds, and later died of the wounds at the hospital.

Lee was arrested a short time later after police received a Crime Stoppers tip and charged with capital murder because police say robbery was involved.

A 19-year-old woman was also charged after another Crimes Stoppers tip, but her charge was later dismissed when the grand jury declined to indict her.

A witness to the shooting told police she was sitting next to Liggins in the jeep when shots were fired and the shooter and a woman with him fled.

She said Liggins had driven to an apartment and contacted Lee and said he was outside waiting.

She said Lee walked to the jeep and opened the back door, then pulled a gun and demanded Liggins give him everything.

She said Liggins said he did not have anything and that’s when Lee opened fire, grabbed a drawstring bag from the jeep and ran.

Police said Lee robbed a friend of Liggins in Abilene earlier that day.

Lee has a warrant for revocation of his probation in Abilene.

Chief Wichita County felony prosecutor Dobie Kosub said after more than four years, the family of Matthew Liggins has finally seen justice served.