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CTX man in prison for murder of ex-wife dies

Posted at 10:30 AM, Nov 30, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-30 14:33:25-05

A Central Texas man serving time for the murder of his ex-wife died on Nov. 27 at the Polunksy Unit in Livingston, Texas.

Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials said Ronnie Hughes was found lying on the floor of the dorm area in respiratory distress around 3:50 p.m. Officers began life-saving measures while he was taken to the medical department, and EMS arrived a short time later. 

Hughes was declared dead at 4:42 p.m. He was 56-years-old.

The cause of death is pending, but TDCJ officials said it appears he died from natural causes. An autopsy has been ordered. 

Hughes was serving a 20-year sentence for the murder of Lana Hughes in Jan. 2007. He was convicted of manslaughter in McLennan County in 2008. 

The arrest affidavit said the day of the murder, Hughes was at his ex-wife's house in Elk. Ronnie shot Lana in the chest with a 22-caliber pistol. He told officials he did not mean to kill his ex-wife, her death was an accident.

Hughes was a former Axtell ISD school employee.

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