Burnet man and woman get 60 years total in "water-boarding" case

by Alexandria Randolph

A Burnet man and woman both plead guilty to a sentence of 30 years apiece in an aggravated assault trial after a woman was found dead in their home on north Pierce Street in January 2014.

District Attorney Sonny McAfee said Charlotte Elaine Arms, 46, pled guilty to sexual assault and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and Walker Wayne Shapland, 24, pled guilty to two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon at their plea deadline two weeks before the case would have gone to trial.

“They received 15 years concurrently for each charge,” McAfee said. “The maximum was 20 years for both charges.”

The deceased victim was 29-year-old Rebecca Schaller, who died of infection following the sexual and aggravated assaults. The charges also related to a second victim, the sister of the deceased. Arms was reportedly the aunt of the two women.

McAfee said a plea agreement was accepted in order to “save the victims the trauma of a trial.”  

For the full story, see Tuesday's Highlander or Wednesday's Burnet Bulletin.