BRYAN, Texas (KRHD) — A Brazos County man has been sentenced to life in prison following a murder conviction in May.
Alton Currie, 62, received a life sentence on Monday, June 16, from Judge Kyle Hawthorne after a jury found him guilty of murder on May 15, 2025. The same jury also convicted Currie of two counts of retaliation against a police officer, for which Hawthorne handed down the maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count. All sentences will run concurrently.
The charges stem from an August 24, 2020, incident in Bryan, when officers responded to a shooting at a residence. According to authorities, Currie had shot James Zikus once in the chest without provocation. When officers arrived on the scene, Currie returned and allegedly pointed a gun at two different officers before being taken into custody.
While at the hospital, he also reportedly made additional threats toward officers.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Currie and Zikus were friends who had been drinking and playing dice together on the day of the shooting. Witnesses testified that the shooting was unprovoked and that Currie had previously pointed a gun at another individual during a separate encounter at the same location.
Currie had previously been convicted in 2022 by a Brazos County jury on two counts of aggravated assault of a public servant and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Assistant District Attorneys Kara Comte and Gretchen Helmuth prosecuted the case, with support from Victim Assistance Coordinator Shae Cooks and Investigator Dennis Thane.