Boniello sentenced to life for murder

On Nov. 12 in Judge John W. Youngblood’s 20th District Court of Milam County, Shawn Vincent Boniello, AKA Shayla Angelina Boniello, 32, of Rockdale and formerly of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole after pleading guilty to Capital Murder.

The State was recently provided with evidence that Boniello suffers from a traumatic brain injury.

Boniello’s non-violent past and traumatic brain injury would render any death verdict insufficient and thus be reversed on appeal. 

The defendant waived all rights to appeal. 

Boniello is charged with capital murder in connection to the killing of 20-month-old Patricia Ann Rader. After getting the offense report from Boniello’s indictment last December, Milam County District Attorney Bill Torrey said he would seek the death penalty after discussing the matter with the Rader family. 

The murder charge stems from the death of Rader on Dec. 3, 2018. Rockdale Police, Department of Public Safety troopers, Rockdale Volunteer Fire Department, and EMS all responded that day in reference to Rader being found unresponsive. Crews attempted CPR on the child to no avail and she was pronounced dead. Police immediately began to investigate and arrested Boniello at the scene. He was originally charged with endangering a child, though that was upgraded a day later to capital murder.