A man convicted of murdering a Tyler restaurant owner was sentenced Tuesday to 18 years in prison after a jury found he acted in “sudden passion” during the fatal confrontation.
Scotty Lee Goble, 66, of Frost, was convicted Monday in the shooting death of 38-year-old Heriberto “Eddie” Ramirez Jr., co-owner of Junior’s Taqueria. Ramirez was killed on October 11, 2024, in the parking lot of his restaurant.
According to testimony, the dispute began over a drink order and escalated after Goble’s son slammed a door. Goble then placed his 9-month-old child in a car seat near the entrance. A fight broke out in the parking lot, and Goble pulled out a gun, shooting Ramirez.
Goble pleaded not guilty at his August 26 trial, with his attorneys arguing self-defense. After 10 days of testimony, jurors deliberated more than three hours before deciding that Goble acted under “sudden passion,” a legal term meaning provocation by the victim, local CBS affiliate KYTX.
That finding reduced the crime to a second-degree felony, lowering the punishment range from five to 99 years to two to 20 years. Goble was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. During sentencing, Ramirez’s widow, Amanda Ramirez, gave an emotional testimony.
She described her husband as “the love of my life,” recalling their two decades together and the everyday routines he shared with their two daughters. “He was everything to me — everything,” she said. “He made me feel safe. He was very sweet. He would bring me coffee every morning to wake me up.”
She described how Ramirez played sports with their daughters, rode with them to school, and always prayed with the family before meals and at night. After his death, she said, “Whenever we pray, we leave a space for him because he can’t be there.”
Their daughters, ages 6 and 9 at the time, continue to struggle with grief. Amanda recalled breaking down when trying to sing “Happy Birthday” to their youngest child and described the pain of telling them their father was gone. “It was the worst thing I’ve had to do in my entire life — to tell my babies their daddy died. He didn’t deserve that. We didn’t deserve that,” she said.
Tyler Police Detective Rebecca Hudson testified about Goble’s prior record, which included a 2009 fraud charge and a 2023 theft conviction. He had served one day in county jail just eight days before the shooting. Amanda Ramirez told the court her husband left “a legacy of love” and said her family’s life will never be the same. “My girls really needed their daddy, and this is not fair. It’s not right,” she said.