Dallas public defender’s chief investigator charged with wife’s murder after bloody apartment discovery

Jimmy Spurger Jr., chief investigator for the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office, is charged with first-degree felony murder after his wife, Maria Spurger, was found stabbed to death in their apartment. Spurger, who had spent over 13 years in the Capital Murder Division and previously supervised child abuse and family violence investigations, filed for divorce less than two weeks before the killing. He was found covered in blood at the scene and was unable to be interviewed due to a potential overdose.

• Jimmy Spurger Jr., 54, chief investigator for Dallas County Public Defender’s Office, is accused of murdering his wife, Maria Spurger.
• Maria Spurger was found stabbed to death in their downtown Dallas apartment.
• The incident occurred less than two weeks after Spurger filed for divorce.
• Spurger was found covered in blood at the scene and was taken to the hospital.
• He has over 20 years of law enforcement experience, specializing in homicide investigations.
• Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins ordered Spurger suspended from his position.