EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A Fort Bliss soldier accused of shooting and killing a couple during a fight outside an Eastside bar pleaded guilty on Thursday, July 17, a day before his murder trial was set to begin, according to the El Paso District Attorney’s Office.
The DA’s Office said Andrew James Williams, 22, entered a guilty plea to murder, attempted capital murder of multiple persons, and attempted capital murder/obstruction or retaliation.
Back in 2023, a fight broke out among a group in the parking lot of the Ditzy Duck Bar, 1160 Airway Blvd.
The victims, James Nicholson, 26, his girlfriend Alexa Retana, 27, and a group of their friends and family, were on the bar’s patio when an argument started, according to the DA’s Office.
The DA’s Office said the argument then escalated into a physical altercation, involving both groups. Surveillance video from a nearby bar shows Williams holding a handgun and opening fire on the group.
Nicholson and Retana died on the scene, and four people in their group were wounded, according to the DA’s Office.
The DA’s Office said Williams and his group drove off but were apprehended while trying to enter Fort Bliss.
Judge Patrick M. Garcia ordered Williams to serve three concurrent life sentences in a Texas state prison facility. Williams waived his right to appeal as a part of the plea agreement, according to the DA’s Office.
The DA’s Office said the families of both Nicholson and Retana, along with several victims of the shooting, delivered victim impact statements as Williams stood in the jury box.
District Attorney James Montoya and Assistant District Attorney Linda Estrada represented the State of Texas in the prosecution of this case.
Montoya is reserving comment on its outcome until the conclusion of the court proceedings for Williams’ co-defendant, according to the DA’s Office.
As we previously reported, Williams was arrested alongside Aaron John, another Fort Bliss soldier, after the shooting.
They were both charged with capital murder back in 2023.
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