Winnsboro man sentenced to 15 years in prison for stabbing auto repair worker

WOOD COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) – A jury has found a Winnsboro man guilty of the 2020 murder of an auto repair shop employee.

Billy Dwayne Cotten, 74, of Winnsboro, was found guilty of murdering auto repair shop worker Steven Lancaster, 54, by a Wood County jury in Judge McCampbell’s courtroom Thursday.

In May 2020, police responded to an aggravated assault call at a Winnsboro auto repair shop where they found Lancaster lying on the floor with multiple stab wounds, according to a news release from the Wood County District Attorney’s Office. Lancaster was taken to hospital, where he later died.

Police found Cotten sitting in his truck outside a repair shop. During questioning, Cotten said he had a verbal altercation over a scooter battery with Lancaster, who pushed him to the ground and kicked him. Cotten, fearing for his life, pulled a knife from his pocket and stabbed Lancaster with it.

According to the press release, Cotten’s wife testified that three to four weeks before the incident, Cotten told her that if he and Lancaster argued again, Cotten would hit Lancaster.

The jury deliberated less than three hours before finding Cotten guilty of Lancaster’s murder, Wood County District Attorney Angela Albers said. However, before sentencing, Cotten’s defense approached Albers to discuss a sentencing agreement.

After speaking with the defense and the victims, an agreement was reached that sentenced Cotten to 15 years in state prison. In addition to his sentence, Cotten waived his right to appeal and must pay a $1,000 fine plus court costs.

The jury also found Cotten guilty of using a deadly weapon, in this case a knife, in murder, meaning he must serve at least seven and a half years of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

An autopsy showed Lancaster was stabbed 14 to 15 times, according to the report.

The report also states that video taken from cameras inside the store shows Lancaster walking toward one of the store’s exits with his back to Cotten. Cotten then follows Lancaster with a knife in his right hand. Cotten admitted to law enforcement that he was angry and intended to hit Lancaster.

Cotten will receive seven days of jail time in this case.

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