BRAZOS COUNTY, TX — Jessica Bundren, a 40-year-old Texas woman, received a life sentence after a jury found her guilty of torturing her twin stepdaughters, leading to the death of one of the children.
Brazos County authorities confirmed on Friday that Bundren will face life imprisonment and a $10,000 fine for the murder of 6-year-old Arianna Rose Battelle. The Brazos County District Attorney’s Office stated the conviction by the jury also included a felony charge of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury.
Previously, a grand jury indicted Bundren and the twins’ father, Justin Hopper, with two counts of injury to a child in October 2020.
The victim’s family expressed relief at the sentencing, with the victim’s aunt, Courtney Onstott, acknowledging her satisfaction with the jury’s decision, noting the importance of the sentence for the safety and well-being of the surviving twin sister.
The case came to light when police and emergency services were called to the family’s residence on the evening of October 27, 2020, after reports of a child not breathing. Bundren initially claimed the girl had an accidental fall. However, the subsequent investigation revealed a pattern of abuse resulting in Arianna’s death.