Man gets life sentence for double homicide in Arlington

A Tarrant County jury found Reid Rothenberg, 37, guilty of capital murder for killing two men in Arlington. He was automatically sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The case was prosecuted by Tarrant County Assistant District Attorneys Matt Rivers and Tad Schmidt.

On the night of April 10, 2022, Rothenberg kicked in the front door of a home on Ivy Hill Drive in Arlington and opened fire.

George Nitsche, 84, was lying on a couch in the back of the house when Rothenberg shot and killed him.

"That's his final resting place," Rivers told the jury. "He never saw it coming."

Rothenberg then chased Matthew Stuart, 41, and Elizabeth Hearn, 67, into the front yard, firing repeatedly.

Stuart was killed.

Hearn – Nitsche's ex-wife and Stuart's mother – survived the attack.

"This is not just a killing," Schmidt said. "This is a brutal homicide by someone who came to kill that night."

During closing arguments, Rivers urged jurors to hold Rothenberg accountable.

"We have proven to you who the shooter is," Rivers said. "Find him guilty of capital murder."

DA Investigator James Desmarais and DA Victim Advocate Elizabeth Garcia also worked on this case.

The Tarrant County DA's Office extends its gratitude to the Arlington Police Department for its thorough investigation and commitment to protecting the community.