Man Agrees To 25-Year Prison Sentence For Ex-Girlfriend's Stabbing In South Austin Motel

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX — An Austin man charged with stabbing his former girlfriend more than 25 times with a screwdriver as she recovered from foot surgery pleaded guilty on Tuesday—avoiding a lengthy trial and the possibility of life imprisonment in the process.

Willie Lee Brady, 40, copped a plea that will have him serve 25 years behind bars—a severe penalty to be sure, but less than a life sentence he could have been assessed for the crime. The Austin American-Statesman reported the man informed his lawyer of his decision to accept the plea agreement during a break in the victim's emotional testimony, during which she described being choked and punched before being stabbed 27 times in December 2015.

Brady was upset about money he said was missing, the newspaper reported.

The violent attack on the woman took place at a Motel 6 in the 2700 block of the Interstate 35 frontage road in South Austin, according to the newspaper account. The victim described a morning of violence, during which Brady punched her in the mouth her his closed fist. In an attempt to defend herself, the woman retrieved a screwdriver from her purse before the man grabbed the implement and stabbed her throughout her body, according to the report.

According to the indictment, Brady had four previous felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and a felony conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

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