In an emotional hearing on Thursday, Dec. 12, Donald Hassler accepted a plea agreement that will send him to prison for 50 years for the September 2023 murder of Sheryl Siddall. The sentencing, held in the 75th State District Courtroom of the Honorable Judge Mark Morefield, marked the conclusion of a case that left deep wounds in the rural Liberty County community of Horseshoe Lake Estates.
Hassler, who also pleaded guilty to an attempted escape from the Liberty County Jail, stood emotionless as Siddall’s family confronted him with powerful victim impact statements that highlighted the devastating toll of his actions.
‘You treated my mom as if she was nothing,’ victim’s daughter tells killer
Delayna Wilson, Siddall’s daughter, spoke with raw emotion about the enduring pain of losing her mother, a woman she described as having a heart of gold.
“My mom was all about her family and, more importantly, about her grandkids. She loved being a ‘Nonny,’” Wilson said. “Her home was her safe place. I will forever be tormented by what my mother endured in those last moments, seconds, minutes. I go through the terrible sequence of events that took place that day and wonder if she even knew she was in danger,” she said.
Wilson continued, “My mom spent her last suppers in this life with the worst of humanity. She was shot in the back of the head in her own home, dragged across the floor, and then dumped in a ditch. There is no reason why my mom shouldn’t be here today. You treated my mom as if she was nothing, as if she was rubbish.”
With her emotions close to the surface, Wilson struggled as she described the lasting impact on her family.
“My mom had so much life left to live. She was only 57 years old. She had grandchildren to watch grow up. The thought of my mom not being here to witness the milestones in their lives is unbearable. I hope there isn’t a second of the day that you aren’t haunted by the pain you have caused,” she said.
William Turner, Siddall’s brother, called Hassler a “cowardly man” and a “sorry excuse of a man.” He accused Hassler of murdering Siddall to control her property in the Horseshoe Lake Estates community.
“Did she hurt your ego? She was 5’2” and weighed 85 pounds. You have taken from us a mother, sister, aunt, and grandmother. You have taken the physical being of my sister,” Turner said. “May God have mercy on your soul because we do not.”
Siddall’s nephew, Kyler Turner, echoed the family’s heartbreak and anger.
“My people have a name for people like you – bleyva. In other words, a coward, a man too afraid to make his own, so he has to kill a sweet, innocent woman who would have helped you to begin with,” he said. “I hope you wake up to reality and you notice that the only things left for you in this world are pain, suffering, and futility.”
Amanda Turner, Siddall’s niece, delivered the final impact statement, offering a mix of disdain and closure.
“For a lot of people, this ends when the case is over and a sentence is issued. For you, maybe you’ll think about this voluntarily every day, maybe time to time, or maybe not at all. Your feelings and thoughts have no value to me. The thought of you, your involvement in this—it all ends today in my book. The villain chapter is over, and you’re evaporating from existence in this story as I speak,” she said.
However, Amanda Turner expressed a hope that Hassler would never escape the memory of Siddall.
“I don’t care to remember you, but you’ll remember her. I hope she haunts your memory. I hope she visits you in your dreams. I hope you hear our cries and those of our children when you close your eyes at night, and not in a sad way. I hope you do everything you can to drown us out but it gets louder. I hope her face gets more and more vivid the tighter you close your eyes. The silence you crave will be flooded with this horrific nightmare you created, and for that, I’m thankful.”
Months-long search ends in tragic discovery
The case began in September 2023, when a welfare check at Siddall’s home in Horseshoe Lake Estates revealed signs of foul play. Siddall’s family had not heard from her since Sept. 12, and her belongings, including her phone, purse, and car, were left untouched. Deputies encountered Hassler at the property, where he claimed to live with Siddall. A search of the home uncovered traces of blood on the kitchen floor, raising immediate concerns.
The search for Siddall stretched for months, with no immediate answers. On July 15, 2024, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the family’s worst fears when human remains found weeks earlier in a ditch along CR 2132 were identified as Siddall’s. The remains, discovered by passersby attempting to capture stray dogs, were confirmed through DNA testing.
Gratitude for Siddall’s family and law enforcement agencies
Following the sentencing, Kevin Barnes, 75th District State Court chief for the DA’s office, praised the family and law enforcement for their perseverance. “Justice was served today. Donald Hassler discharges his sentence when he’s 102. A murderer will spend the rest of his life behind bars. The plea deal was made at the request of and with the support of the victim’s family. I would like to thank them for their strength and perseverance throughout these painful events. I would also like to thank law enforcement for their excellent work investigating and solving this case. We could not have done this without the help of law enforcement and the family,” Barnes said.
Liberty County District Attorney Jennifer Bergman added, “The 50-year sentence ensures that Donald Hassler will serve a significant portion of his life in prison, with eligibility for parole not even possible until he has served half of his term. Along with his other convictions, this outcome guarantees he will remain behind bars no earlier than well into his late 70s or beyond. We are deeply grateful to law enforcement, our investigative and prosecutorial team, and the agencies outside of Liberty County who assisted in this case. We hope this resolution brings a sense of closure and justice to the victim’s family.”
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