Fort Worth man pleads guilty to murder after headbutt kills father-in-law
FORT WORTH, Texas - The North Texas man who was accused of killing his father-in-law by headbutting him in a Fort Worth bar in 2022 has pleaded guilty to murder.
What's new:
Court records show John Birdwell signed a plea agreement last week.
He was originally indicted on charges of murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault, and injury to the elderly.
All charges except the murder charge will be waived as part of the deal.
A judge is expected to sentence Birdwell on Friday.
Headbutt kills Fort Worth veterinarian
The backstory:
Birdwell was arrested in 2022 after Fort Worth police said he killed 66-year-old Robert Bearden at Woody’s Tavern.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Birdwell had agreed to meet Bearden at the bar to talk about his troubled marriage. The older male was trying to convince his son-in-law to sign divorce papers.
Video from inside the bar reportedly shows Birdwell suddenly grab his father-in-law’s head and headbutt him three times.
He tried to continue the assault even after they both fell to the ground and witnesses said it was clear the older man was unconscious. Other bar patrons had to pull him away, the affidavit states.
Bearden was taken to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Victim remembered:
Records show Bearden was a veterinarian at VCA Mercedes Place Animal Hospital in Benbrook.
The owner of Woody’s Tavern called him one of the most compassionate and generous people he knew.
The Source: The information in this story comes from Tarrant County court records and past news coverage.