AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – Billy Ivy, Jr. has died, confirmed by Potter County Sheriff Brian Thomas.
Wednesday morning at around 1:40 a.m., officers at the Potter County Detention Center reportedly found Billy Ivy, Jr., 52, unresponsive in his cell. Medical intervention was performed until he was pronounced dead at 2:32 a.m.
According to the Potter County Sheriff’s Office, Justice of the Peace Robert Taylor has ordered an autopsy for Thursday morning.
The investigation is ongoing.
“I guess I’ll say the saga is over,” said 47th District Attorney, Randall Sims, on Wednesday afternoon.
All charges against Billy Ivy, Jr. Will be dismissed now that he’s dead.
“If the defendant dies, that leaves no individual to try,” Sims said.
Ivy was facing a long list of charges stemming back to the first arson charges back in 2014, and it includes Ivy’s murder for hire plots as well.
Documents from the 47th District Attorney’s office show Ivy was facing:
- one count of tampering with a witness
- four counts of attempted capital murder for hire
- one count of capital murder for hire
- one count of capital murder by terror threat/other felony
Sims said Ivy ordered four hits in Potter County.
“Even while he was in prison, he was continuing to try to do these sort of things, while he was in the federal prison, while he was in Randall County, and while he was in Potter County,” Sims added. “While he was in the process of doing that, and being taped again by somebody else in the system, another inmate, he said, ‘They’ll never stop me, they can’t stop me. I will never quit.'”
In Randall County, documents from the DA’s office show Ivy’s four pending charges related to murder for hire and two counts related to arson.
After years of working on his case, both Sims and Randall County Distict Attorney Robert Love, reacted to Ivy’s death.
“Mr. Ivy was the main threat to our victim, and we believe with his passing, that our victim is much safer now than he was yesterday,” Love said.
“The Lord’s dealing with him now.” Sims said.
Sims continued, talking about the danger Ivy posed to his alleged intended victims over the years: “They really were in a lot of danger and to hire that many people to try to do that, and I can tell you there were others he hired and we all came out pretty lucky with as few people that got hurt, that did.”
Ivy was arrested for Capital Murder by Remuneration in the shooting death of Charlesetta Telford and her unborn child.
Ivy was also arrested on the charge of Capital Murder by Terror/Threat or Other Felony for the murder of Nicole Moore, missing since December of 2016 and subject to ongoing search.
Ivy was arrested on May 4, the death penalty was sought against him.
Billy Ivy, Jr. may be dead but it is not the end for those he worked with. Love said evidence that would have been used to prosecute Ivy will still be used against his associates.
Love said, “…I mean, it’s not wasted time because we needed to be prepared for whatever was going on at the time, but it just feels like there’s sort of a let down, that all of a sudden you’re gearing up, and then all of a sudden it’s gone. At least the main target is gone.”
See interviews with Sims and Love below:
