What did Jay Rotter do? Sentence explored as former Texas deputy convicted of paraplegic girlfriend's murder

39-year-old Jay Rotter has been convicted of fatally shooting his special-needs girlfriend, Leslie Hartman, who was 46 years old. Rotter, who was an ex-sheriff's deputy in Texas, also allegedly tried to make it seem like Hartman had died by suicide, as per Law&Crime. The incident allegedly took place in 2020, at the couple's house in the 2400 block of Robinwood Lane.

After he was convicted, the jury sentenced Jay to 30 years behind bars. As per CBS News, he worked as a narcotics detective for the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office before he was fired in 2020.

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Ex-deputy Jay Rotter fatally shot Leslie Hartman in their Denton home back in 2020

Jay Rotter, an ex-Texas deputy, fatally shot his girlfriend in August 2020. She was paraplegic and used a wheelchair to move around owing to injuries she reportedly suffered in a car crash years ago, as per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Rotter called the cops after the shooting and mentioned that the victim had sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Upon arrival, authorities discovered that the victim had already passed away. It has also been reported that only Rotter and Hartman were present in the house when the shooting took place.

Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn issued a statement after arresting Rotter and said:

"We are shocked and saddened about the incident and arrest of Jay Rotter. We believe in the criminal justice process, and the truth will prevail."

Law&Crime reported that the former cop joined the department back in 2005, and worked there until 2020, when he was fired after the shooting allegations against him. Several shreds of evidence led police to suspect Rotter. Their suspicions increased when they recovered unsent messages from his cellphone, where he allegedly wrote:

"I TOLD HER. LISTEN. ONE SHOT ONLY. THEY CALL IT IN AFTER AND THEY CAN. I just sent a 9 millie in this f—— hippy."

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The victim reportedly texted a friend saying that her boyfriend had been using drugs

Police recovered several incriminating details while investigating the brutal murder. Before the victim was declared dead at 10:32 pm local time, she allegedly sent a text to her friend. In the message, she mentioned that Rotter had been using drugs and was "falling around the house." As per the Express, she also mentioned that her partner was "in a mood."

A friend of Hartman claimed that she was assisting Rotter in purchasing a house that would support a wheelchair. However, the day Hartman died, Rotter told the friend that the purchase had been delayed.

His defense team claimed that there had been no previous incidents of domestic violence between the victim and Jay Rotter. On Wednesday, November 22, a jury finally convicted the latter of killing his girlfriend in 2020.

The Denton County jury evaluated all the pieces of evidence available including the autopsy report before they made a decision. They took about three hours to deliberate and soon reached their verdict and voted to convict Rotter. He was found guilty of shooting Hartman and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.