Jurors found Anthony Martin Landry guilty after a brief deliberation, then returned a life sentence the next day.
HOUSTON, Texas — A Harris County jury on Dec. 11 sentenced Anthony Martin Landry to life in prison for murdering attorney Jeffrey Limmer outside a McDonald’s restaurant after an argument at the counter turned deadly in May 2024.
Prosecutors said the case moved quickly at trial. Jurors took about 20 minutes on Dec. 10 to convict Landry of murder, then deliberated again the next day to decide punishment. Limmer, 46, stepped in when Landry argued with workers over a botched Filet-O-Fish order at the Katy Freeway and Chimney Rock location. The district attorney’s office framed the shooting as an extreme response to a minor dispute, while the defense argued self-defense. The sentence means Landry will be eligible for parole after 30 years under Texas law, according to court records.
Witnesses told jurors Landry cursed at employees and demanded a refund before the confrontation moved outside the restaurant. Limmer pushed Landry toward the door, and Landry fell, according to testimony. Jurors heard that Landry then went to his car, retrieved a handgun and fired multiple times as Limmer approached the exit. Surveillance video, described in court, showed Limmer unarmed when he was shot. “Does he ever use deadly force? No. He uses his words,” prosecutor Keegan Childers said in closing arguments. The panel later returned a life sentence after roughly an hour and a half of punishment deliberations.
Records and testimony identified the victim as Jeffrey Limmer, a civil attorney at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP. His father, Jim Limmer, delivered a victim impact statement and emphasized the number of shots fired. Colleagues recounted his work and volunteer reputation; one coworker told jurors Limmer had donated bone marrow to help save his brother years earlier. Landry, 59, apologized to the family before sentencing. He had prior felony convictions, and at the time of the 2024 shooting he was free on bond in an unrelated aggravated assault case, according to testimony referenced in court.
Context from law enforcement placed the first 911 calls around 6 p.m. on May 4, 2024, at the Interstate 10 restaurant. Customers and an employee tried to render aid inside the store, but Limmer was pronounced dead. Police said Landry fled the scene in a pickup and turned himself in about six days later. During trial, defense attorney Kenneth Cager maintained Landry feared for his safety after being pushed and claimed he armed himself to retrieve a misplaced wallet. Prosecutors countered that repeated shots, captured on video, undercut any self-defense claim.
After the guilty verdict, jurors heard punishment-phase witnesses from both sides. Prosecutors argued there was “no justification for leniency” given the circumstances and Landry’s record. The defense presented no mitigation witnesses and asked for the statutory minimum given Landry’s prior felony history. Jurors asked the court about the difference between a 99-year term and life imprisonment before returning the life sentence. By Texas statute, a life sentence for murder includes parole eligibility after 30 years; any release decision would come years later from the parole board.
The shooting prompted memorials and a local tribute near the restaurant, where a nearby park was renamed in Limmer’s honor. Outside the courthouse after sentencing, friends and relatives described him as steady and generous. “He was a gentle giant,” a colleague said in a statement. Landry, who used a wheelchair in court, stood and addressed the family before the jury’s punishment decision. Court officials said the case now moves to post-trial processing and potential appeal filings.
As of Friday evening, Landry remained in county custody awaiting transfer to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The next scheduled milestone is the entry of final judgment and commitment paperwork this month.
Author note: Last updated January 9, 2026.