HOUSTON – A man who was scheduled to be sentenced Friday morning for killing his wife in 2023 has died after investigators said he intentionally ingested drugs in the courtroom.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Bond set at $300K for Kingwood man accused of killing his wife following 5-hour standoff
Sources confirmed to KPRC 2 News that James Paul Anderson, who was charged with shooting his wife, Victoria, in front of their 3-year-old son, ingested the drugs while awaiting sentencing.
Anderson was a Santa Fe Middle School employee with Cleveland ISD at the time of the murder.
Since January 2024, Anderson had been out on a $300,000 bond and appeared in court Friday to accept a plea agreement that would have resulted in him serving 35 years in prison.
However, Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen confirmed he ingested drugs in the courtroom ahead of the hearing and was rushed to a hospital.
Preliminary info is that a defendant ingested drugs while awaiting sentencing at the criminal courthouse and was rushed away in ambulance. #hounews pic.twitter.com/tFoLNyKUCF
— Constable Alan Rosen (@ConstableRosen) September 26, 2025
KPRC 2 News is working to confirm what kind of drugs Anderson took. Investigators said a court bailiff administered naloxone before paramedics arrived, which (per the CDC) is meant to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.
Administrators at Ben Taub Hospital confirmed Anderson’s death at 11:05 a.m.
An autopsy is expected to shed more light on Anderson’s cause of death.
This is a developing story and will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.