Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Murder Outside Tyler Taqueria
TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – A 54-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for the murder of a Tyler restaurant owner.
On Monday, a Smith County jury found Scotty Lee Goble of Frost guilty of killing Heriberto “Eddie” Ramirez in October 2024. Ramirez was shot and killed in front of his family’s business.
After hours of deliberation, jurors determined the crime was committed in “sudden passion,” reducing the potential punishment range to 2–20 years. Goble was sentenced to 18 years and fined $10,000. He will be eligible for parole in nine years.
During the sentencing phase, Ramirez’s wife gave emotional testimony about the impact of his death on their family. “Eddie was the love of my life. We’re not OK. We are broken. The girls, I see the pain in their eyes,” she told the court.
She described how their young daughters still pray for him, leave space for him at the table, and even show milestones like a lost tooth to his photograph.
The state had pushed for a life sentence, arguing Goble could have walked away. The defense maintained it was a case of sudden passion, saying Goble acted in the heat of the moment without time to reflect.
Jurors sided with the defense’s argument, handing down the 18-year sentence instead of the potential life term.
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