New details released after man convicted of 2022 shooting in Amarillo

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - A Randall County jury has found a man guilty of capital murder for a 2022 shooting.

The incident happened in August of 2022, when officers found 36-year-old Shereena Byington Webster dead at a home on Athens from gunshot wounds.

During the investigation, police found ex-boyfriend Erik Rivas to be a suspect. A BOLO was put out to other law enforcement agencies, and Rivas was located and arrested in the Dallas area after Webster’s blood was found on his clothing and her gun was located in his vehicle.

According to the Randall County District Attorney, Rivas was in a long relationship with Webster that ended in early August of 2022. Rivas refused to accept that this relationship was over and continued calling, texting and sending gifts to Webster.

On August 17, 2022, Rivas drank at several bars. He then used a ladder to climb over Webster’s fence and break into her home around 3 a.m.

Rivas shot Webster five times with his pistol, retrieved Webster’s gun from her bedroom, where her five-year-old daughter was sleeping, and shot her three more times. Rivas then ran from Webster’s home.

Officials say Webster’s five-year-old daughter discovered her mother and called her grandmother for help.

At the trial, Rivas testified and tried to convince the jury that Webster allowed him into her home. He then testified that he became depressed when Webster told him she wanted to end their relationship, so he picked up both guns and told Webster he was going to kill himself. He said Webster then grabbed his wrists to stop him and during their struggle, both guns accidentally fired nine times.

According to court records, Rivas entered a not guilty plea on April 8.

Both parties rested their case on Friday, April 12.

On April 15, the jury rejected Rivas’ version of events and returned a verdict, finding him guilty of capital murder.

He was sentenced to life without parole.

District Attorney Robert Love said, “The defendant, by refusing to leave Shereena alone, breaking into her home with a firearm, shooting her repeatedly, leaving a small child behind to find her deceased mother and then fleeing the jurisdiction has proven that he cannot be maintained in our society and should be imprisoned for the remainder of his life. We are thankful that the jury followed the massive amount of evidence proving his guilt and that they were not swayed by the defendant’s meager attempts to claim that this heinous murder was an accident.”

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