Renard Spivey, a former bailiff on the TV courtroom show “Justice for All with Judge Cristina Perez,” has shared his side of a tragic story that changed his life forever. In an exclusive interview with “48 Hours” titled “Deputy Spivey on Trial,” Spivey revisited the events of July 28, 2019, when his wife, Rebecca, was fatally shot in their Houston home. The case gripped national attention, culminating in his 2023 acquittal of murder after a lengthy trial delayed by the pandemic.
Spivey, a towering 6-foot-3 and nearly 300 pounds at the time, claimed the incident stemmed from a heated argument that escalated when his 5-foot-6 wife confronted him with a gun. “It all happened so fast,” Spivey recounted, explaining that as he tried to disarm her, the weapon accidentally discharged multiple times. The fatal shot struck Rebecca in the chest, while Spivey sustained a gunshot wound to the leg.
The tragedy unfolded after what Spivey described as a normal evening turned tense. He recalled Rebecca accusing him of infidelity, citing a lack of physical intimacy. “She refused to kiss me that night,” he told interviewer Natalie Morales, adding that when he later tried to look at her phone, Rebecca appeared with a firearm.
The chilling sequence of events became a focal point in court, as did Spivey’s 10-minute 911 call. The recording, where he frantically admitted, “I accidentally shot her,” and followed the operator’s CPR instructions, proved pivotal to his defense.
“I was scared for my life,” Spivey said, demonstrating how the weapon, lacking an external safety, could easily discharge with slight pressure. His testimony and emotional collapse upon hearing the jury’s not-guilty verdict revealed the weight of the ordeal.
The high-profile trial ended with Spivey’s acquittal, supported by renowned defense attorneys Mike and Dick DeGuerin, who argued reasonable doubt and the inability of the state to prove who was holding the gun when it fired.
For Spivey, reliving the nightmare during his interview was both cathartic and painful. “It’s my wife,” he said, his voice breaking. “You try to save your wife, and you’ve been shot.”
“Deputy Spivey on Trial” aired Saturday, Jan. 11, on CBS and Paramount+.
