VOL 9 No. 40
email: editor@ independent.com
www.fbindependent.com ww .fbindependent.com
Phone: 281-980-6745
FORT BEND news FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. news WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016
Asians Against Domestic Abuse
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
FBISD adopts resolution disapproving detachment petition
The Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees held a public hearing on Sept. 26 to consider a petition submitted by residents of the Diamond Bay section of Shadow Creek Ranch. The petition, received in April, requested that the Board approve the detachment of the area from the District. A related petition was submitted to the Alvin Independent School District, requesting attachment to that district. During the hearing, the FBISD administration outlined the statutory requirements regarding detachment and the considerations that were taken into account in its recommendation to disapprove the petition. According to the statute, the board “shall consider the educational interests of the current students residing or future students expected to reside in the affected territory and in the affected districts and the social, economic, and educational efAsians Against Domestic Abuse held its 15th anniversary fects of the proposed boundary celebration and annual fundraiser at the Junior League of change.” Houston on Oct. 3. Shantha Raghuthaman, left, founder and immediate past president of AADA, created a special acrylic painting to celebrate AADA’s 15th anniversary. It is dedicated to all women who had tremendous courage and strength to become independent and free of domestic abuse. The painting was auctioned and Mary Favre of Sugar Land, center, bid the painting for $1,300. She presented it to a domestic abuse survivor Ryan Robert Walton was and beneficiary of AADA. At right is AADA president Rashmi convicted and sentenced on Sharma, also of Sugar Land. Sept. 21 for the shooting deaths of his parents more than two years ago. In an agreement with prosecutors, Walton plead guilty to both murder charges and received two concurrent life sentences in exchange for the State not pursuing the death penalty or a charge of capital murder. The 23-year-old Katy man had struggled with drug and mental health issues, but was deemed competent to enter a plea by mental health professionals. According to Chief Family Violence Prosecutor Amanda Bolin, Derrick Walton entered the upscale home of his family shortly after 5:00 p.m on Thursday, May 29, 2014 to find his parents, Michael and Lynda Walton, dead from apparent gunshot wounds. Michael was a real estate developer who had developed the high-end gated Lake Pointe Estates subdivision in which the family lived. Michael, age 54, and Lynda, age 52, had three other children. Shelby Walton, who still lived at home, had last seen her parents alive that morning before leaving for school. Deputies with the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office discovLeft to Right: Lieutenant Scott Soland, Fort Bend County ered evidence of a forced entry, Sheriff’s Office (Lt. Soland was the recipient of the Texas CIT but the home did not appear to Law Enforcement Award in 2015); Dr. Connie Almeida, Fort be ransacked and nothing apBend County Behavioral Health Services Director; Sergeant peared to be missing except a Jerome Ellis, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office 2006 BMW driven by Lynda Walton. Lynda Walton also owned Fort Bend County Director of Behavioral Health Services Dr. Connie Almeida received the Mental Health Professional of the Year a 2011 Buick Enclave that had Award from the Texas Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). The award reportedly been taken by Ryan was presented at the 3rd Annual Texas CIT Association Conference Walton, without permission, and recognizes the mental health professional who is working with about a month prior to the murlaw enforcement to make the most significant improvement to men- ders. Video surveillance from the tal health responses within the community. As Fort Bend County’s Behavioral Health Director, Dr. Almeida entrance to the subdivision organizes efforts to improve the way the county responds to men- showed the Buick Enclave ental health crises and issues. She brings together many elements of ter at approximately 4:56 a.m. government, community groups, mental health providers, law en- that morning and also showed forcement and the courts to address mental health issues. She has Lynda Walton’s BMW leave organized mental health conferences which have been informative, around 9:00 a.m. Deputies also located small caliber shell casinspirational, and collaborative. “Connie is a true, dedicated professional whose work with our ings at the scene, but no firelaw enforcement agencies and courts has helped us to make great arm. It was later determined by a strides in helping those who suffer from serious mental health issues. I’m proud to have her in Fort Bend County” said County Judge medical examiner that Michael and Lynda Walton were each Robert Hebert.
In its recommendation to disapprove the detachment, the District cited multiple economic and educational effects that would impact the District’s ability to serve all of its 74,000 students. These negative economic effects of a boundary change include a loss of $21.3 million to the debt service fund over time, an initial loss of $3.9 million in property values in the first year and $15 million within a fouryear span, and an annual loss of $453,000 in state per-student revenue. Based on these economic effects, the administration believes the detachment would result in significant budget cuts to the District’s overall spending, affecting students throughout the District. After hearing presentations by the petitioners and the FBISD administration, as well as public comments, the FBISD Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a resolution that outlined its findings, including:
•Detachment of the Territory would have negative economic impacts on FBISD, including but not limited to a reduced ability to meet its debt service obligations and losses in state revenue attributable to lost taxable property and student attendance; •The negative economic impacts caused by detachment would limit the opportunities of current and future FBISD students; •FBISD schools in the feeder pattern of the Territory have made steady improvements in performance in recent years, have capacity for more students, and the harmful economic effects that would be caused by detachment would negatively impact FBISD’s investment in programs and personnel that have contributed to the steady improvements. “We are committed to raising student achievement at each school within Fort Bend ISD – including those that serve the students who live in the Village of Diamond Bay,” said Fort
Bend ISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Charles Dupre. “Moving forward, it is our hope that we can partner with the Shadow Creek Ranch community in order to help our students succeed. We are seeing positive strides at these schools, and it is important that we are able to continue our efforts to help each and every child succeed.” Only a small portion of Shadow Creek Ranch is within Fort Bend ISD’s boundaries. Fort Bend ISD owns a 12-acre site within the master-planned community, which is currently valued at $5.2 million. The Alvin ISD Board of Trustees will hold its own hearing to consider the petitioner’s request that the Village of Diamond Bay be annexed into AISD. If both districts disapprove the change, the decision cannot be appealed. If AISD approves the petitioner’s request, the petitioners or AISD could appeal FBISD’s decision to the Texas Education Commissioner.
defendant and he was arrested on Saturday, May 31, 2014 in Rosenberg. Ryan was in possession of his mother’s 2006 BMW and detectives recovered a Ruger .22 caliber rifle from the trunk of the vehicle. Ryan Walton was taken to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office where he provided a voluntary statement. Ryan stated that he had stolen items from his parents’ home, pawned those items, then used the proceeds to purchase the rifle for the purpose of killing his parents. Ryan stated that he drove to his parents’ home in the early morning hours of May 29, 2014 and forced his way into the home with the rifle. The defendant then waited for his younger sister to leave the home for school before entering his parents’ bedroom and shooting them both repeatedly. “This case is nothing short of heartbreaking,” conceded Assistant District Attorney Amanda Bolin. “The family is devastated over the loss of
their loved ones – victims and accused alike. This sentence doesn’t send a message or represent punishment for punishment’s sake. But it does protect our communities, honor Mike and Lynda Walton, and balance the family’s desire for mercy.” “It is often a difficult decision to make – seeking justice for the victims while thoughtfully considering the surviving family’s wishes. In this matter, family members were in disagreement as to punishment. While none wanted to see the death penalty imposed, some wanted a more lenient sentence than others,” added District Attorney John Healey. Walton was prosecuted in the 434th District court before Presiding Judge James H. Shoemake. Murder is a first-degree felony punishable from 5 to 99 years or life in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Walton must serve at least 30 years in prison before he is eligible for parole. Attorney Cary Faden represented the defendant.
Life sentence for young man who killed both parents
Mental Health Professional of the Year
Walton shot five times, including shots to the neck and chest. As the investigation focused on Ryan Walton, friends and family reported that the defendant had recently dropped out of school at Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, struggling with both a drug addiction as well as mental health issues. Michael and Lynda Walton had recently told friends and family that they had grown concerned for Ryan’s well-being, as well as their own safety, due to his violent tendencies. A warrant was issued for the