TYLER — Tarrance Dashawn Reggie, 27, of Tyler, appeared in a local courtroom Thursday for a pre-trial hearing concerning a first-degree murder charge. The charge stems from the 2024 death of Michael Sherman Ross II, who succumbed to injuries from a severe gunshot wound sustained in a 2017 shooting. Reggie is in the process of replacing his legal counsel, with his current attorney stating a new lawyer is being hired. Smith County Judge Debby Gunter has set a new pretrial date for Sept. 24 and issued a firm deadline for a plea agreement. Gunter informed Reggie that if no plea is made by the September date, his potential sentence will increase to 30 years.
During the hearing, Reggie’s current attorney, John Jarvis, confirmed to the court that his client "is definitely hiring a new attorney," though that counsel had not yet formally appeared. Reggie told the court that his new attorney is based in Houston and that his mother is covering the legal expenses for the change in representation. Judge Gunter underscored the current judicial offer, stating that Reggie’s "current plea offer of 25 years is the best you’re going to get." She further cautioned Reggie that "A new attorney won’t make it any better," implying that switching lawyers would not result in a more favorable plea deal.
The first-degree murder charge against Reggie, along with Joel Isaac Camacho and Carlos Ochoa, arises from the recent death of Michael Sherman Ross II. According to Smith County District Attorney Jacob Putman, Ross died in 2024 specifically from injuries caused by the severe gunshot wound to the head he received in 2017. In the immediate aftermath of the 2017 incident, authorities originally charged Reggie with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon when Ross was discovered with his severe injury.
In August 2018, Reggie, alongside Camacho and Ochoa, had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in connection with the same 2017 shooting incident. Following their pleas, all three men were sentenced to 20 years in prison. With Ross's death earlier this year, the legal landscape for Reggie, Camacho, and Ochoa has significantly shifted, as all three now face the more severe first-degree murder charge. The next step in Reggie’s case will be the pretrial hearing in Tyler on Sept. 24, where a decision on a plea agreement is expected to be made.
