A woman accused of murdering a Wichita Falls man pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter on Friday, according to court records.
Documents show 78th District Court Judge Meredith Kennedy sentenced Janea Ariona Aragon to 18 years in prison for the death of James Shierling on Oct. 26, 2022.
The sentencing stemmed from a plea agreement with Aragon and the Wichita County District Attorney’s Office.
Aragon was initially charged with murder, a first-degree felony that could have carried up to a life sentence in case of a conviction. The manslaughter plea is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years behind bars. Aragon’s sentence was credited with 463 days she has spent in the Wichita County Jail.
Police found Schierling dead in his unit at an apartment building in the 1300 block of 11th Street, according to a March 19, 2025, article in the Times Record News. An autopsy revealed he died from stab wounds.
Investigators discovered the natural gas line to the apartment had been disconnected and a lit cigarette placed nearby, the article said. Aragon, a New Mexico resident, was linked to the crime through witness accounts and DNA evidence found on the cigarette.
Although Aragon’s bail on the murder charge was initially set at $1 million, she went free in June 2025 after her case did not go before a grand jury within the legal time limit, according to a July 25, 2025, TRN article.
The Wichita County District Attorney’s Office cited a backlog in evidence testing at crime labs as the reason for the delay.
Aragon was arrested and returned to jail on July 24, 2025, on both the murder charge and a methamphetamine possession charge. The drug charge was dismissed Friday.
Why Aragon’s charge was reduced to manslaughter
DA John Gillespie said, “Investigators did extensive forensic and DNA testing that we were hopeful would lead to strong evidence. Unfortunately, the additional testing did not develop usable evidence.”
Gillespie said that left his office with a “highly circumstantial” case that led to the manslaughter plea.
Wichita County Chief Public Defender David Bost, who defended Aragon in the case, said he could not reveal privileged information, but said publicly available information isn’t the whole story.
“Deals are sometimes reached because there is a risk perceived by both sides when we weigh the evidence and the law as it applies to the evidence,” Bost said.
He said, “Ultimately these types of cases are always tragic from start to finish. The investigators, attorneys and other professionals involved treated the case with care and professionalism.”
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: UPDATED Woman sentenced in Wichita Falls man’s stabbing death
Reporting by Lynn Walker, Wichita Falls Times Record News / Wichita Falls Times Record News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Lynn Walker, Wichita Falls Times Record News | USA TODAY Network
