A Donna man will spend 40 years in prison for murder. His name is Christopher Lee Soto. He is 43. He pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Oct. 21, court records show. State District Judge Bobby Flores sentenced him.
The woman who died is Brittany Kay Ireland. She was 38.
Alamo police were sent to the Acacia RV Park at 89 E. Business 83. It was 12:02 p.m. on Oct. 30, 2023. Officers found Ireland in the living room. She was covered in blood. They also found a bloody silver knife with a jagged edge. Police believe it was the weapon. They say it fit her wounds.
Officers found Soto too. One officer said he was lying on a gurney and not responding.
Ireland's mother talked to investigators. She said she had a video chat with her daughter at 1 a.m. on the Saturday before. She said Ireland told her she was afraid of Soto. The mother also heard her daughter tell Soto "to stop that" and that "it was all in his head."
The account of the case says Soto spoke of Satan before the attack.
The case did not move fast. On July 7, 2025, a judge ruled that Soto was not competent. That means a person cannot understand the case or help his own lawyer. His defense attorney and the prosecutors agreed with a doctor who found him not competent. The doctor also said his competency could be restored in the near future.
It is not yet clear when Soto was found able to go forward.
More than a year after that ruling, Judge Flores sentenced Soto to 40 years in prison.
