Georgetown man sentenced to life in prison in wife's death

A Georgetown man who plead guilty to murder this week in the 2021 death of his wife was sentenced to life in prison, according to court records.

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A Georgetown man who pleaded guilty to murder this week in the 2021 death of his wife was sentenced to life in prison, according to court records.

Travis Hall, 50, faced murder and tampering with evidence charges in the disappearance of his wife, Julie Hall. He pleaded guilty to murder Monday. The tampering charges were dismissed, documents state.

In opening statements of the trial Monday, prosecutors said Hall allegedly beat Julie to death with a pipe wrench in their Georgetown apartment and then wrapped her body in sheets and put her into a suitcase. Prosecutors said video evidence shows Hall putting a heavy suitcase in their apartment complex's trash compactor.

Williamson County prosecutor Mike Waldman said the compacted trash was taken to a Creedmoor dump where police searched but Julie's body was never found.

Hall's defense acknowledged that this is not a typical case for the jury. They said this is not a case of whether Hall did it but a case of proper punishment. They said the murder was not planned out but rather due to "sudden passion," and that mitigation evidence will show Hall was "shooting from the hip."

Hall was booked in the Williamson County jail Feb. 26, 2021.