Jury Sentences Two-Time Felon to 99 Years for Aggravated Robbery

On St. Patrick’s Day 2010, 12 Anderson County citizens delivered a message to violent offenders in the area. After deliberating for 15 minutes, six male and six female jurors found Regand Rendell Harris, 37, a two-time felon of Palestine, guilty of Aggravated Robbery and Burglary of a Habitation before Judge Bascom Bentley in the Anderson County District Court. The jury punished the defendant with the maximum sentence of 99 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) on both habitual felony counts. He will serve those sentences concurrently

The victim, Albert Zahn, was a vulnerable, 74-year-old man living alone in a mobile home located in Anderson County’s Quail Valley subdivision off Highway 155.

The defendant did not act alone; his co-defendant and ex-girlfriend, Jacquelyn Burris, 27, of Palestine, helped commit the crime. Burris knew Mr Zahn as she cleaned his house periodically and he occasionally gave her money. On June 15, 2009, Harris convinced Burris to drive them to the victim’s home to ask for money.

According to Burris, she did as the defendant demanded because she was fearful for her own safety. “If I didn’t go, [Harris] would jump on me,” Burris recalled on the witness stand as she testified against the defendant in exchange for 10 years probation.

Mr. Zahn testified that Burris entered his home asking for money, but he refused. Then, an unknown man (Harris) barged through the door, grabbed the victim, and forced him into his rocking chair. Mr. Zahn said that Harris held his forearms down to the arms of the chair and screamed in his face, “Where is the money?!? Give me the money!”

“He bruised my arms with his fingers, hurting me,” said the victim. He testified that while Harris was forcing him to stay in the chair, Burris went to a closet where she stole his wallet out of his pants. Burris and Harris then fled with the wallet containing $150.

The victim called the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office that night, and Sgt. Ronnie Foster responded to the scene. “Dispatch sent me to a burglary of a habitation, but when I met the victim, I realized that a robbery had occurred. The elderly man had been assaulted,” said Sgt. Foster. “[Mr. Zahn] was shaken, afraid and disoriented.”

He took photographs of the victim’s injuries, which were entered into evidence. Sgt. Foster said the injuries were caused by the unknown man’s fingers on the victim’s lower forearms. “The injuries show that the victim was held and forced against his will.” Though the victim allowed Sgt. Foster to take photographs of the injuries, he refused Emergency Medical Service.

The victim told Sgt. Foster that he was robbed by Burris and an unknown black man. Burris was arrested and brought into custody where she agreed to speak with Sgt. Investigator Jay Russell and identified her co-conspirator.

The next day law enforcement drove the victim to the sheriff’s office where he independently identified both Burris and Harris from two different photograph line ups provided by Sgt. Russell. Law enforcement then issued a warrant for Harris’s arrest.

Harris has been in the county jail since the day of his arrest. Burris, on the other hand, served six months in the county jail as a condition of her probation. However, if Burris violates the conditions of her probation set forth by the court, then she faces up to 99 years in prison.   

In his closing arguments, Assistant District Attorney Scott Holden said, “This case is about [the victim]. Harris terrified him, hurt him, and stole his money. The evidence is there. It’s overwhelming.” When arguing for punishment, Mr. Holden said, “[The defendant] is a career criminal. A life sentence is the only thing that will keep Anderson County safe from Regand Harris.”

The jury heeded Mr. Holden’s warning by finding the defendant guilty and sentencing him to 99 years in TDCJ. Jurors offered this explanation of their verdict and punishment:

“We gave [the defendant] the maximum because of his record. He’d assaulted before and had been given time to rehabilitate himself, but he didn’t. He’s not willing to change. If he’s not locked up, then he’ll continue the same pattern. But next time the victim may not be so lucky. Next time he might kill someone. Furthermore, we’re sending a message to future offenders and making an example of [Harris]. Somebody has to start standing up to [offenders] This won’t be tolerated.”

Sadly, the victim trusted Burris and allowed her into his home. While elderly citizens would be wise to consider this when opening their homes to people, the real culprits here are Jacquelyn Burris and Regand Harris. We hope that the message jurors sent today, will discourage offenders like Burris and Harris from breaking the law and people’s trust while harming the innocent.