Public Defender Investigator Faces First-Degree Murder Charge After Wife's Stabbing
Jimmy Spurger Jr., a veteran law enforcement official, was arrested after police found his wife dead on an apartment couch in Dallas.
By Leila Reynolds ·
A 54-year-old investigator for the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office was arrested on Sunday after police charged him with the fatal stabbing of his wife. The suspect, Jimmy Spurger Jr., has spent decades in the criminal justice system, including over 20 years in law enforcement and the final ten of those years supervising child abuse and family violence cases for the district attorney’s office.
Officers responded to a health and welfare call in the 2300 block of North Akard Street at approximately 11:13 p.m. on Friday. Upon arrival, they forced entry into the apartment and found furniture blocking the interior door. Inside, they discovered 53-year-old Maria Spurger on a couch with a knife embedded in her neck. Dallas Fire-Rescue personnel pronounced her dead at the scene.
Police located Spurger in a bedroom where he had blood on him and a small knife lay nearby. Jail records indicate he was booked on November 7 under warrant number F2677230. The charge is a first-degree felony for murder. An arrest affidavit cited by FOX 4 confirmed that the victim was his wife.
In his current role with the public defender’s office, Spurger focused primarily on capital murder defense cases. His duties included examining evidence, interviewing witnesses, and developing mitigation information for defense teams. The Dallas Police Department announced the arrest following the investigation, which is tracked under case number 163978-2026.
Investigators determined that the victim was stabbed by someone she knew. Police are continuing to examine the specific motive and the sequence of events that led to the Friday night death.
