On Friday, former Atlanta area attorney Claud “Tex” McIver entered a plea of guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection to the 2016 shooting death of his wife, Diane McIver.
According to AJC, McIver, 81 opted for a plea deal that not only included a guilty plea to reckless conduct and to possession of a firearm during his wife’s death. He was subsequently sentenced to eight years in prison by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert C.I. McBurney.
“Diane’s the best friend I ever had,” McIver said in court. “She’s the best partner I could possibly imagine and I will always, always love her.”
“She died as a result of my actions, plain and simple. I’ve worn my wedding ring since the day we were married and I intend to wear it until the day I die. I hope we’re at a point where we’re not judging each other and we can all move on. She’s my angel and she’s waiting for me in heaven.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, McIver was riding in the rear seat of a Ford Expedition SUV in September 2016, while Diane rode in the front passenger seat when he shot her. McIver claimed that the gun, a .38-caliber snub-nose revolver, discharged by accident.
Prosecutors said that McIver’s behavior after his wife’s death became a major factor in the case.
McIver told the SUV driver, Patricia “Dani Jo” Carter, to say she wasn’t there. Carter was one of Diane’s close friends. A few weeks later in October, McIver called Carter’s husband, Thomas Carter, and told him to tell his wife to stop communicating about the incident with law enforcement.
Tex McIver also asked a family friend, Charles William Crane, to retract a Black Lives Matter statement he told the media. Previously, Tex McIver allegedly instructed Crane to act as his spokesperson and tell the public the gun was pulled out during a Black Lives Matter movement but later changed his mind about the statement.
Along with eight years behind bars, McIver was ordered to serve seven years of probation.
McIver’s attorneys, Amanda R. Clark Palmer and Donald F. Samuel, told AJC that McIver’s prison sentence will end in 2025, but that he has the possibility of being released early on parole.
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[Feature Photo: Diane McIver/Handout]
