Murder suspect sentenced to life, 5 years after gas station clerk killed in NW Harris County

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man has been sentenced to life in prison almost five years since Donna Peña was killed while working at a gas station in northwest Harris County.

Marcus Kenneth Cox-Davis was arrested during a traffic stop back in 2020. Investigators were searching for him after two men robbed and killed Peña, who was working at the Shell gas station on Perry Road near FM-1960 on March 8, 2019.

On Monday, Cox-Davis pleaded guilty to her murder and was sentenced to life in prison.

"At the time of the murder, it was believed that the suspects could be part of a robbery crew," Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez posted on social media in 2020.

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Authorities said the suspects are responsible for about five to 10 other robberies that happened in 2019 and, at the time, released video from a previous incident at a Subway on W. Mt. Houston Road.

The video shows the two men entering the store with guns drawn and pointed toward the cash registers.

They are both wearing hoodies and have their faces covered with bandanas, but investigators point out one of the men has the word "Navy" written across the left chest area of his sweatshirt as well as across the back.

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