Texas Man Sentenced to Life for Killing His Girlfriend After She Had an Abortion

A Dallas man who killed his girlfriend after she traveled out of state to have an abortion without his consent has been sentenced to life in prison.

A Dallas County jury found 23-year-old Harold Thompson guilty of murdering 26-year-old Gabriella Gonzalez Tuesday. He attacked and fatally shot Gonzalez in May 2023 in a parking lot, according to police.

Surveillance footage showed Thompson trying to put Gonzalez in a chokehold before she managed to break free, according to an arrest affidavit per FOX4. He then pulled out a gun, shot her once in the head, and fired multiple additional rounds before fleeing the scene. Gonzalez's sister, Mileny Rubio, witnessed the murder while she was driving nearby.

Gonzalez's family described her as a loving mother of three who tried to escape her abusive relationship with Thompson.

Thompson had an active warrant for family violence strangulation at the time of the murder, according to records. With nearly all abortions banned in Texas after six weeks, Gonzalez had just returned from Colorado, where she ended a pregnancy Thompson allegedly fathered. He did not want her to have the abortion, the affidavit states.

"I knew she wasn't OK but we couldn't help, we didn't know how," Rubio told NBC5. "He was so angry that she wanted to get away from him. She would always tell me that she wanted to leave, but that she couldn't."

Gonzalez had been subjected to months of escalating violence, according to her family. Her mother told local news Thompson controlled every aspect of her daughter's life. He would reportedly confiscate her phone and isolate her from loved ones. "I looked at her beaten, he no longer let her talk to anyone, he took everything from her... She was scared," she said.

In March 2023, Gonzalez reported Thompson for assault. She feared for her safety, as Thompson had made threats against her family and children, according to court documents. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but he was never taken into custody.

Thompson's sentencing ensures he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.