A third woman has been convicted for the 2017 murder of a Canyon Lake man she believed was a “snitch” who was providing information on illegal activity to law enforcement.
A jury found Maryanne Shipley, 46, of Canyon Lake, guilty of the capital murder of 56-year-old Glenn Douglas Larssen.
Comal County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies responding to an anonymous request for a welfare check on Nov. 20, 2017, found the victim dead, lying face down with multiple gunshot wounds in front of his residence in the 700 block of Random Drive in Canyon Lake.
Neighbors reported hearing gunshots at around 4 a.m. that day.
According to a Facebook post today by the Comal County District Attorney’s Office, the guilty verdict carries an automatic punishment of life in prison without parole. Judge Dib Waldrip of the 433rd District Court presided over the trial and assessed the automatic sentence.
The post did not include the date of Shipley’s conviction, although online records indicate it was no later than March 28.
Co-defendants Jennifer Diaz and Brendyn Chmiel — the shooter — are already behind bars, serving sentences of 28 years and life in prison, respectively.
Law enforcement officers who investigated the murder recovered the victim’s phone from the scene and performed a forensic download that resulted in multiple leads.
Shipley and Diaz came forward and admitted to being present on the night of the murder but were later arrested after subsequent investigations revealed their active involvement in the crime.
Investigators learned the trio drove to the victim’s house to confront him. Messages recovered from Shipley’s phone to Chmiel and Diaz before and after the crime indicated she was convinced Larssen was responsible for the arrest of her sister and her boyfriend.
Larssen’s cellphone records revealed he texted Shipley a message just before his murder that seemed to confirm his role in providing information on her sister.
In the days following Larssen’s murder, Shipley bragged about being a “badass” in messages to Chmiel. They discussed leaving town to wait for the “heat” to subside.
During the trial, assistant district attorneys Sarah Van Sciver and Daniel Floyd played jail calls between Shipley and her sister that were made before the murder. During these calls, they said they believed Larssen was a snitch and were actively seeking someone who could deal with him.
The two also discussed using Chmiel to collect owed drug debts.
Jurors also heard testimony from CCSO Deputy Julio Bustos, Pct. 1 Constable Charlie Motz, Pct. 4 Constable Charlie Motz and digital forensics expert Kristina Hegstrom.
CCSO and the Texas Rangers investigated the case.
