A San Jacinto County jury deliberated for just 10-15 minutes Wednesday, May 17, before finding Felicia Randle Allen, 47, of Coldspring, guilty of Aggravated Assault With a Deadly Weapon. Because of her previous criminal history, the second-degree felony charge is enhanced, which means she is facing a sentence of 5 to 99 years in prison.
Randle was convicted for the July 13, 2022, stabbing of a former friend, Flora House, who was 64 at the time. Allen used a steak knife to stab House multiple times in the head, back and arms in what House described for the jury as an unwarranted attack.
“All of a sudden, she just stabbed me for no reason,” House told the jury in the 258th State District Courtroom of the Honorable Judge Travis Kitchens on Tuesday.
SJC Asst. District Attorney Rob Freyer had House briefly turn her back toward the jury to show them the scars she still bears from the attack that took place at a mobile home on V. Allen Road, off of SH 150 west of Coldspring. House, who met Allen while the two were inmates at a state prison, testified that she had lived with Allen and her husband, Virgie Allen, for 3-4 months prior to the attack.
During the prosecution of the case, the jury heard the 911 calls that House made to the SJC Sheriff’s Office dispatch after the attack. Approximately 35 times, House can be heard begging the dispatcher to send help quickly.
“Please help me, ma’am. Somebody, the lady Felicia, is trying to kill me. She got a knife and stabbed me. Please help me. Please help me,” House told the dispatcher.
Allen’s husband is also heard on the 911 call explaining that his wife fled the house with the knife after the attack.
SJC Sheriff’s Deputy Burshteyn was among the first to arrive at the scene. He testified to seeing blood everywhere inside the house.
“A lady was sitting on a chair. She had severe bleeding from her head and shoulder area,” he told the jury. “She was obviously shaken up. I told her to sit still. She was not able to and I attributed that to the shock of the situation.”
He testified that House appeared to have been drinking prior to the attack. House testified that she had Allen had been enjoying an alcoholic beverage together when the attack erupted.
“We were sitting out on the porch, laughing and having a drink. She called my name ‘Flo’, and she went to stabbing me,” House said.
House was treated for her injuries at Conroe Regional Medical Center and was released the next day.
Freyer asked House how she feels seeing her former friend stand trial for the attack. She said the whole situation makes her sad.
“I thought she was a friend of mine. I told her a lot about things that happened in my life. I really thought she liked me as a person. We wasn’t having no kind of problems or nothing,” she said.
During cross-examination by defense attorney Joe Roth, House was asked about her own criminal history and she admitted that she had been to prison five times previously for various non-violent crimes. The last time was for writing hot checks.
Roth also brought up House’s mental health issues. She admitted she is mentally ill and requires medication for a condition diagnosed two years ago. She receives disability payments now and is unable to work.
Allen did not take the stand in her own defense. As Texas has a bifurcated trial system, the conviction and punishment phases of the trial are decided separately. Allen and her attorney requested that her sentence be determined by Judge Kitchens.
The judge has requested a pre-sentence investigation report before making a ruling on Allen’s sentence on June 21, 2023.