A Liberty County man convicted of manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance was arrested today in Crosby, two days after he walked out of his own trial and did not return. A woman accused of helping him evade law enforcement was also taken into custody during the investigation.
Stephen Russell Herman, 56, was located at a residence in Crosby by investigators with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Interdiction Unit, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Harris County Violent Crimes Apprehension Team (VCAT).
He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Liberty County Jail. His time on the run lasted just two days, and he missed his own sentencing.
During the investigation, investigators also took Jamie Diane Daughtery, 48, of Baytown, into custody. Investigators identified her as a companion who assisted Herman after he fled. She was charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution of a known felon.
The Liberty County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, which went to trial Monday, Oct. 26, in the 75th District Court before Judge Mark Morefield. Herman was out on bond at the time of trial. On Tuesday, Oct. 27, he left the courthouse during a recess and failed to return. The trial went forward in his absence, and the jury found him guilty. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Herman was originally arrested on May 14, 2025, following the execution of a search warrant at a residence in Dayton, where he was found in possession of narcotics in an amount consistent with manufacture and delivery. He was charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, Penalty Group 1, 4 grams to less than 200 grams, a first-degree felony.
According to a statement from the sheriff’s office, “Herman skipped court; he skipped sentencing, and apparently, he skipped cardio, too.”