Smith County, TX – A Texas man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Heriberto “Eddie” Ramirez Jr., a co-owner of a local taqueria in Tyler, after a heated parking lot confrontation escalated into violence.
Scotty Goble, 54, of Smith County, was convicted on Monday of second-degree murder for the killing, which took place in October 2024 outside Junior’s Taqueria, according to KYTX. He was sentenced Tuesday, following a jury’s finding that Goble acted in “sudden passion”, a factor that significantly reduced his sentencing range.
What Led to the Shooting
The deadly incident began over a dispute inside the restaurant, reportedly involving a drink order. After having tacos for lunch with his 9-month-old daughter and two sons, the situation escalated when one of Goble’s sons slammed a door while exiting the taqueria.
That action prompted Eddie Ramirez and his brother Edgar Ramirez to follow the family outside, where an altercation broke out in the parking lot.
Prosecutors say Goble, feeling threatened, placed his infant daughter’s carrier near the restaurant entrance and later opened fire during the fight — killing Eddie Ramirez on the scene.
Goble pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defense during the trial. His son, Justin Goble, testified in his defense, stating that he feared for his father’s life during the attack.
“I was terrified,” Justin Goble told the jury. “This guy [Ramirez] is like twice my size… I was looking for a gun, just in case they were just beating him to a pulp.”
Jury Deliberation and Verdict
The jury deliberated for just three hours before convicting Goble of second-degree murder rather than first-degree murder. That decision lowered the sentencing range from 5 to 99 years or life, down to 2 to 20 years.
Jurors concluded that Goble acted in a moment of sudden passion, not with premeditated intent.
Victim’s Family Speaks Out
Amanda Ramirez, the wife of Eddie Ramirez, gave an emotional testimony during sentencing, describing the trauma of breaking the news to their two daughters, ages 6 and 9.
“Not daddy! What do you mean?!” the girls cried, Amanda recounted.
“It was the worst thing I’ve had to do in my entire life — to tell my babies their daddy died.”
Following the sentencing, Amanda told KTRE that 18 years was not enough.
“I don’t feel like justice was served,” she said.
“Even if he would’ve gotten life, that still would’ve never been enough for me. Because nothing is going to bring my husband back. We have to live the rest of our lives with pain and misery without Eddie.”
Background on the Case
The incident occurred in Tyler, Texas, in October 2024.
Goble was arrested at the scene and later charged with first-degree murder.
His trial began in late August 2025, and he maintained that he fired in self-defense after being attacked.
The jury’s finding of “sudden passion” significantly affected sentencing.
This tragic case, rooted in what began as a small disagreement inside a taqueria, spiraled into a fatal act of violence — leaving one man dead, a family shattered, and another man behind bars. Though justice was delivered through the legal process, for the Ramirez family, no sentence could ever fill the void left behind.
