Jimmy Spurger Jr. was suspended from his county job after police charged him with murder in the death of Maria Spurger.
DALLAS, TX — The chief investigator for the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office has been charged with murder after his wife was found fatally stabbed inside their Dallas apartment, authorities said.
Dallas police identified the accused man as 54-year-old Jimmy Spurger Jr. and the victim as his wife, 53-year-old Maria Spurger. Police said officers responded to a health and welfare check in the 2300 block of North Akard Street at about 11:13 p.m. Nov. 6. Maria Spurger was pronounced dead at the scene by Dallas Fire-Rescue. Police said their preliminary investigation determined she had been stabbed by someone she knew. Spurger was later arrested and charged with murder, a first-degree felony. Authorities have not announced a motive, and the case remains under investigation.
An arrest affidavit cited in local reports provides additional details about what emergency personnel encountered before police arrived. Dallas Fire-Rescue crews had been sent to the apartment for a welfare check and received no response when they knocked, according to the affidavit. Responders forced their way inside after finding furniture positioned behind the door. They found Maria Spurger unresponsive in the living area and Jimmy Spurger in a bedroom. The affidavit said Spurger had blood on him and that a small knife was nearby.
Investigators also reported finding several empty pill bottles in the apartment. Spurger did not initially respond to questions from emergency personnel and was taken to Methodist Central Hospital because authorities suspected he may have taken multiple pills, according to reports citing the affidavit. Police later obtained an arrest warrant and booked him into the Dallas County Jail. The murder charge is an allegation, and Spurger has not been convicted of the offense.
The arrest drew additional attention because of Spurger’s senior role in the Dallas County criminal justice system. The county’s Public Defender’s Office website identified him as chief investigator and investigative division supervisor. His duties included overseeing investigators who assist defense attorneys with evidence review, witness interviews, mitigation work and other preparation in criminal cases. According to his county biography, he had held the chief investigator position for about 11 months and had worked for the Public Defender’s Office for more than 13 years.
Before joining the Public Defender’s Office, Spurger spent more than 20 years in law enforcement, according to his county biography. His background included homicide and crimes-against-persons investigations. The county said he also spent about a decade with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, where he supervised investigations in the Child Abuse and Family Violence Division. Much of his later work with the Public Defender’s Office involved capital murder cases, including gathering evidence and locating and interviewing witnesses.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said after the arrest that he directed county administrators to suspend Spurger and remove his access. Jenkins also expressed sympathy for the family and county employees affected by the case. The action removed Spurger from his official duties while the criminal investigation proceeds.
Court records reviewed by local news organizations show Spurger filed for divorce from Maria Spurger on Oct. 26, less than two weeks before her death. NBC 5 reported that Spurger was listed as the petitioner and Maria Spurger as the respondent. Authorities have not said whether the divorce filing played any role in the killing, and police have not publicly identified a motive. The filing is part of the chronology of the case but does not by itself establish why the stabbing occurred.
Early reports differed on Spurger’s custody status. Reports based on initial court and jail records said he was being held without bond after the arrest warrant was signed. NBC 5 later reported Monday that Dallas County Jail records listed a $150,000 bond on the murder charge. Spurger remained in custody as authorities continued investigating the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.
Dallas police said the investigation remains active under case number 163978-2026. No motive has been released, and authorities have not announced additional charges. Police are continuing to investigate what happened inside the North Akard Street apartment before emergency personnel arrived.
Author note: Last updated November 9, 2026.