Man gets 90 years for 2017 double murder of ex-wife and former co-worker, Harris County DA says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A 60-year-old man will spend the rest of his life in prison after he was sentenced to 90 years for a 2017 crime spree that left two people dead, according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

The video above is from a 2017 story in which the suspect was arrested after a manhunt.

Russell Cormier, who was 53 at the time of the shooting, fatally shot his ex-wife on the morning of April 17, 2017. In a statement, the DA wrote Cormier and his ex-wife, 61-year-old Fannie McWhite, had been divorced for four years, but he was upset that she had gone on a cruise.

The morning of the shooting, Cormier confronted McWhite outside of her home on Greencanyon Drive as she tried to go to work. During their argument, Cormier shot her. From there, he fled to his trailer home in northeast Houston, packed some belongings, and set his home on fire, the DA's office said.

SEE ALSO: Manhunt ends for double murder suspect accused of killing ex-wife, another man

Following that, authorities said Cormier then drove to a business on Kindred Street, where he shot and killed 60-year-old Thornton Bivens, a former co-worker from four years before.

The next day, Cormier went back to his burned home and used a shotgun to wound his neighbor. Cormier, once again, fled but was arrested three days later.

The three shooting victims, who were part of a "list" of people he wanted dead, were not connected, except for having previous disagreements with the suspect, authorities said.

Now, seven years later, Cormier's trial lasted six days before he was given his sentence.

"We are grateful that the jury agreed that this man is extremely dangerous to our community and deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison," Assistant District Attorney Sepi Zimmer said. "He had a mental list of people he was going to kill, and the people who are still alive should be able to live their lives in safety and without fear."