Hays County jury hands 25 year prison sentence to elderly San Marcos man for attempted murder of wife

Hays County jury sentences 73 year old Rodger Wilder to 25 years in prison for the 2024 shooting and strangulation of his wife in San Marcos.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 10, 2026, 7:15 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from CBS Austin

A Decades Long Marriage Ends in a Violent Felony Conviction

The Hays County Criminal District Attorney’s Office has secured a significant prison term for a San Marcos resident following a brutal instance of domestic violence. Rodger Wilder, age 73, appeared before a jury that ultimately delivered a 25 year sentence for aggravated assault against a family member. The trial centered on a December 2024 incident where a 44 year marriage devolved into a life threatening physical confrontation. Prosecutors Shea Umphrey and Ashley Indelicato presented evidence showing that an argument between the couple escalated when Wilder strangled his wife before discharging a weapon, an act that has now resulted in a multi decade incarceration.

Heroic Intervention Prevents a Domestic Fatality

The survival of the victim is attributed almost entirely to the decisive actions of the couple’s son, who was present in the home during the assault. Upon hearing gunfire, the son moved to the lower level of the residence to find Wilder standing over the wounded woman while still armed with a .40 caliber handgun. In a moment of extreme tension, the son successfully disarmed the 73 year old, forced him out of the house, and secured the premises until emergency responders arrived. Assistant District Attorney Umphrey later emphasized that without this quick thinking, the victim likely would not have survived the four gunshot wounds to her hip and abdomen.

A History of Abuse Revealed During the Punishment Phase

As the trial moved into the sentencing portion, jurors were presented with a broader context of the couple's domestic life that extended far beyond the single shooting incident. Testimony revealed that the victim had been subjected to a consistent pattern of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse over many years. This history of systemic domestic violence played a critical role in the jury's decision to issue a 25 year term, as it painted a picture of a defendant who had long posed a danger to his immediate family. The prosecution argued that the shooting was not an isolated lapse in judgment but the culmination of an escalating cycle of harm.