Man sentenced to 45 years in prison for mother's 2021 killing during argument in Galveston home

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man will spend 45 years behind bars after pleading guilty to stabbing his mother to death in front of his son in 2021.

The video above is from a previous report.

Gregory Paul Hartnett Jr. pled guilty on Friday to the murder of his mother, 61-year-old Desiree Reyna Hartnett.

On June 28, 2021, Galveston police responded to a 911 call from a man who said his wife had been assaulted.

At the scene, police found that Desiree Hartnett had been stabbed multiple times.

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An investigation also revealed that Desiree Hartnett's 11-year-old grandson watched as his father, Gregory Hartnett Jr., stabbed her to death. That's when the child called his grandfather, Gregory Hartnett Sr., who rushed home and found his wife unresponsive.

At the time, a witness at the scene told police that Desiree Hartnett and her son, Gregory Hartnett Jr., were involved in an argument that turned physical.

Gregory Hartnett Jr. fled the scene but was arrested a short time later. During his arrest, authorities said his clothes were soaked with Desiree Hartnett's blood.

It was said that while in jail, Gregory Hartnett Jr., admitted to a deputy that he killed his mother. He eventually agreed to plead guilty and accept his sentence.

By pleading guilty, he avoids the need for his son to testify. He could also be eligible for parole after serving half his sentence.