On May 14, 2024, KRIS 6 News reported on a fatal car accident on SH-361. The drunk driver responsible for killing two people that night is 32-year-old Kayla Booth. Booth killed 77-year-old Stephen Pryor that night, and 73-year-old Margaret Pryor died a few weeks after the car accident. But that night was not Booth's first DWI offense.
Kayla Booth's first DWI was in 2016. A review of court documents showed that she continued to have repeated arrests and failed to comply with court orders for months leading up to the deaths of Stephen and Margaret Pryor.
"My prosecutors pled her to 20 years on each count of the manslaughter, which is the maximum. And ten years on the felony DWI, which is the maximum," Nueces County District Attorney Jimmy Granberry said.
An arrest warrant for Booth was issued in October 2023, 7 months before she killed the Pryor's.
"There were a couple of misdemeanors, driving while license suspended, class B's that were also dismissed as part of the plea deal. She'd already been in jail for a substantial period of time," Granberry said.
Here's a breakdown of Booth's offenses over the past nine years:
- In 2016, she was arrested for her first DWI in Brazos County
- In 2018, she was convicted.
- In 2021, she was arrested for her second DWI in San Patricio County
- In February 2023, she was convicted.
- Then in September 2023 she was arrested for a third DWI in Nueces County, this time with a blood alcohol level of more than twice the legal limit.
- Later that month, a motion to revoke was filed in San Patricio County alleging Booth failed to report the recent arrest, failed to install a breathalyzer device in her vehicle, and that she failed to enroll in a DWI intervention program.
- In October 2023, the San Patricio County judge issued a warrant for Booth's arrest.
- After that warrant was issued booth was arrested two more times for driving with a suspended license in N County.
- Despite that warrant, Booth remained free.
- Then on May 14, 2024, she was arrested for the accident that killed the Pryor's.
- Stephen died that day, and Margaret died weeks later.
Neighborhood News Reporter Erin Holly spoke with DA Jimmy Granberry about Booth's history.
"She had not been convicted of three DWI's, that was pending, and she was on bond for the third which was gonna be the felony at the time of the accident," Granberry said.
Two murder charges and two charges for driving with a suspended license were dismissed in the plea deal on Thursday.
"We had lots of leverage over her. She took twenty years plus ten, and they're running concurrent. But that's still a pretty good chunk," Granberry said.
DA Granberry said he cannot respond to why, despite the active warrant out of San Patricio County, Booth remained on the street. KRIS 6 News will continue to dig into this.
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