Tommy Witherspoon
KWTX Managing Editor
Waco, Texas
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Tommy Witherspoon is a longtime newspaper journalist who began his career at the Corsicana Daily Sun in 1980.
He worked 39 years at the Waco Tribune-Herald before joining the staff at KWTX as managing editor in March 2022.
Tommy is a native of Weatherford, Texas, and graduated from the University of North Texas with a journalism degree.
He has three sons.
Updated: Jun. 2, 2023 at 7:44 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A former Clifton police officer, called “an embarrassment to law enforcement” by a prosecutor, was sentenced to 10 years probation and fined $10,000 Friday.
Updated: Jun. 2, 2023 at 2:18 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A former campus minister assigned to a chartered religious organization at Baylor University was arrested Tuesday.
Updated: May. 26, 2023 at 5:01 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Lexington Insurance Co. is seeking a declaration from judge that it has no duty to defend Baylor.
Updated: May. 15, 2023 at 4:12 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A Waco woman remains free on bond after her arrest on charges she tried to run over her boyfriend on a shopping center parking lot with two children in the back seat of her vehicle.
Updated: May. 2, 2023 at 6:34 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
The girl, who was eight at the time of the alleged offenses, is expected to testify Wednesday morning.
Updated: May. 1, 2023 at 4:40 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A Waco man remains free on bond after his arrest early Monday morning.
Updated: Apr. 27, 2023 at 9:33 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
The punishment phase of the trial will begin Friday morning.
Updated: Apr. 27, 2023 at 5:42 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A China Spring man who inappropriately touched two young girls was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday after court officials dealt with a juror who changed her mind overnight about his guilt.
Updated: Apr. 26, 2023 at 6:43 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
John Creuzot has agreed to prosecute the capital murder case of a Temple man charged in the November 2017 shooting deaths of his 1-year-old daughter and the baby’s mother.
Updated: Apr. 21, 2023 at 6:52 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
The Chinse company is on a U.S. Department of Defense investment blacklist.
Updated: Apr. 21, 2023 at 5:55 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
The McGregor native estimates he has been arrested at least 50 times during the three decades he was mired in alcohol and drug addiction.
Updated: Apr. 19, 2023 at 5:46 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Fifteen women who reported they were sexually assaulted while students at Baylor University are seeking to amend their pending federal lawsuits against the university.
Updated: Apr. 6, 2023 at 6:07 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A former pizza delivery man was sentenced to life in prison with no hope for parole in the shotgun slayings of his wife and mother.
Updated: Apr. 5, 2023 at 5:31 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A former transient with a history of domestic violence, and drug and alcohol addiction, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Updated: Apr. 4, 2023 at 4:01 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
An Austin man who sent payments to a 16-year-old Moody boy in exchange for sexually explicit videos and photos pleaded guilty to sexual performance of a child.
Updated: Apr. 3, 2023 at 4:19 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
The second of two men charged in the April 2019 shooting death of a budding Waco rapper pleaded guilty to a reduced charge Monday and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Updated: Mar. 29, 2023 at 7:54 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A Waco man was sentenced to life in prison without parole Wednesday night for sexually abusing at least three children, including two family members.
Updated: Mar. 28, 2023 at 7:48 PM CDT
|By KWTX staff, Tommy Witherspoon and Jordan Gartner
Authorities are investigating a crash that killed a firefighter and injured two troopers.
Updated: Mar. 28, 2023 at 2:19 PM CDT
|By KWTX Staff, Tommy Witherspoon and Jasmine Lotts
Authorities are working to clear a wreck on I-35 northbound near Tokio Road.
Updated: Mar. 22, 2023 at 5:25 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A new Netflix documentary debuting Wednesday hopes to inform a new generation about the tragedy and to reveal a human side from conflicting perspectives.
Updated: Mar. 20, 2023 at 12:33 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
The father has been placed under an immigration detainer and is expected to be deported after he serves his prison term.
Updated: Mar. 16, 2023 at 4:33 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A Waco man who police say shot another man after an argument at a store in August 2021 was indicted on a murder charge Thursday.
Updated: Mar. 15, 2023 at 4:32 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
An eight-time convicted felon was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday for badly beating a homeless man with a 3-foot metal pipe in August 2019.
Updated: Mar. 13, 2023 at 7:26 PM CDT
|By Tommy Witherspoon
The attorney who defended Marian Fraser says there was no way her client could get a fair trial in Waco.
Updated: Mar. 10, 2023 at 5:23 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Former day care owner will have to serve at least 25 years in prison before she can seek parole.
Updated: Mar. 10, 2023 at 3:44 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
The ninth day of former Waco day care owner Marian Fraser’s murder retrial bogged down Thursday afternoon after the judge expelled a juror for violating the court’s instructions and his oath as a juror.
Updated: Mar. 8, 2023 at 6:06 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Prosecutors rested their case Wednesday afternoon against former Waco day care owner Marian Fraser after calling the lead police detective in the case and reading portions of Fraser’s testimony from her first trial eight years ago.
Updated: Mar. 2, 2023 at 7:04 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Marian Fraser, 59, remains free on bond after her conviction and 50-year sentence from her first trial in 2015 were overturned.
Updated: Mar. 1, 2023 at 7:08 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Prosecution testimony kicked off Wednesday in the murder retrial of Marian Fraser.
Updated: Feb. 28, 2023 at 12:35 AM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Four ATF agents and six Branch Davidians were shot and killed Feb. 28, 1993, during one of the largest law enforcement operations in the country at that time.
Updated: Feb. 24, 2023 at 5:37 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Prospective jurors in the retrial of former Waco day care owner Marian Fraser filled out questionnaires Friday and were told to return to court Monday for the start of jury selection.
Updated: Feb. 24, 2023 at 3:12 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Officials say Kinney Clinton Byrd, 55, was found dead in a vehicle about 11:15 a.m. Thursday with an apparent gunshot wound to the upper body.
Updated: Feb. 23, 2023 at 4:34 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A former Bellmead man who shot a Waco teenager in the head in 2018 when a drug deal on the parking lot of a local grocery store turned into a robbery was sentenced to 20 years in prison Thursday.
Updated: Feb. 22, 2023 at 6:17 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A three-time convicted felon with multiple convictions for domestic assaults was sentenced to maximum prison terms Wednesday.
Updated: Feb. 22, 2023 at 5:21 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A Waco man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday on charges he sexually abused two girls about 15 years ago and was nabbed with more than 25 grams of methamphetamine two years ago.
Updated: Feb. 16, 2023 at 7:33 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A Waco man who sexually abused two Arkansas teenagers was sentenced to 50 years in prison Thursday.
Updated: Feb. 14, 2023 at 4:56 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Bryan Bruce has a history of mental health issues and is scheduled for a psychological evaluation.
Updated: Feb. 9, 2023 at 3:27 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Deputies say the man shot his wife in the leg while she was in bed.
Updated: Feb. 8, 2023 at 6:12 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A Waco man who police say killed his 10-year-old autistic son in September 2021 by slitting his throat was found incompetent to stand trial Wednesday.
Updated: Feb. 8, 2023 at 5:00 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A Waco teenager who fired at least 13 rounds at a Waco police detective while fleeing the scene of another shooting in 2020 was convicted Wednesday by a McLennan County jury.
Updated: Feb. 3, 2023 at 5:42 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Baylor University has reached a settlement with a former student who sued the school after he slipped and fell during the February 2021 ice storm.
Updated: Feb. 3, 2023 at 5:34 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Former Bellmead Assistant Police Chief Brenda Kinsey was arrested again Friday on the same charges for which she was arrested in 2021.
Updated: Jan. 30, 2023 at 6:15 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Those procrastinating taxpayers who have waited until the last minute to pay property taxes won’t be able to blame the bad weather if they are assessed a late penalty.
Updated: Jan. 26, 2023 at 5:34 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Thelette Brandon set for parole review in June 2023.
Updated: Jan. 12, 2023 at 12:47 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A Waco teen who authorities say was part of a violent crime spree in late 2021 was sentenced to 20 years in prison Thursday.
Updated: Jan. 11, 2023 at 4:28 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Sheriff McNamara said the incident was captured on patrol vehicle dash cameras and clearly shows the officers ordering the woman to drop the loaded weapon.
Updated: Jan. 10, 2023 at 5:59 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
The lawsuit alleged the officer's rights to free speech, due process and equal protection under the law were violated.
Updated: Jan. 5, 2023 at 6:15 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
Investigators launched an investigation after receiving a referral from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Updated: Jan. 3, 2023 at 5:08 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
The former owner of a Waco day care is asking a judge to move her retrial in the 2013 death of a child in her care to another county.
Updated: Dec. 21, 2022 at 3:32 PM CST
|By Tommy Witherspoon
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. found Central Texas vineyard owner Christopher Grider guilty Wednesday on all nine counts he was charged with in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.