Tex McIver: New trial begins for former Atlanta attorney over wife's deadly shooting

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A new trial begins today for Claud Lee "Tex" McIver III, the former high-profile Atlanta lawyer once convicted of murdering his wife.

A jury found McIver guilty in 2018 of felony murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in the shooting death of his wife, Diane.

But the Georgia Supreme Court overturned his conviction, ruling the trial court made a mistake by denying his request to allow jurors to consider a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.

The new charge could come with a sentence of one to 10 years instead of life in prison.

The trial is set to begin at the Fulton County Courthouse Wednesday morning.

Who was Diane McIver?

Diane McIver was the heart and soul of the company where she worked her 43 years. She was the president of U.S. Enterprises Inc., the parent company of Corey Airport Services.

William "Billy" Corey, the founder, owner, and chairman of U.S. Enterprises, Inc., says he and his staff will never forget her.

She was described as a sassy, confident go-getter who made things happen.

"Diane was a unique, brilliant lady," Corey said.

Her office remains untouched and unchanged.

"I just wanted to remember her like…she left it," Corey said.

Diane's former boss says he is ready for justice to prevail again while the legal community says the new trial was a win for the defense

"We’re ready…justice must prevail," Corey said. "We think he’ll be found guilty again this time. Nothing’s changed."

How did Diane McIver die?

On the night of Sept. 25, 2016, Dani Jo Carter, a close friend of Diane McIver, was driving the couple’s Ford Expedition as the three returned from a weekend at the McIvers’ horse farm about 75 miles east of Atlanta. Diane McIver was in the front passenger seat and Tex McIver was in the back seat behind his wife.

With traffic heavy on the interstate, Carter exited in downtown Atlanta. McIver said, "Girls, I wish you hadn’t done this. This is a really bad area," and asked his wife to get his gun from the center console and hand it to him. A short while later, McIver fired the gun once, striking his wife in the back. Carter drove to a hospital where Diane McIver died.

There was never any dispute that McIver shot his wife — the question at trial was whether he meant to. Prosecutors said he was driven to kill her because he coveted his wife’s money. Defense attorneys said that was nonsense, that McIver loved his wife dearly and her death was a terrible accident after he had fallen asleep with the gun in his hand.

What happened during Tex McIver’s first trial?

A Fulton County jury found McIver guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and influencing witnesses in connection with the death of his wife. He was sentenced to life in prison. 

However, in June 2022, The Supreme Court reversed McIver's convictions because they said the trial court "erred in denying his request to charge the jury on a lesser involuntary manslaughter offense."

Then-Presiding Justice Michael Boggs, who is now the court's chief justice, wrote in the unanimous opinion, "While the State’s evidence was sufficient to support the appellant’s conviction of murder, it also could have supported a finding that the appellant killed the victim without any intention of doing so in the commission of an unlawful act."

While the high court overturned McIver's murder conviction, it upheld his conviction for influencing a witness.

Why was Tex McIver’s conviction overturned?

After the high court's decision, the Fulton County District Attorney's office filed a new motion saying it planned to retry McIver on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

In its motion for a new trial, the district attorney’s office notes that the Supreme Court found there was enough evidence at trial for a rational jury to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that McIver was guilty of the crimes for which he was convicted.

"The jury which served at the original trial of this case evaluated all of the evidence and unanimously convicted (McIver) of intentional crimes against his wife," the motion says. "This fact weighs heavily in the State’s consideration of how best to serve the interests of justice in this case. This District Attorney believes very strongly that a jury of one’s peers, working as a body, is best positioned to evaluate the accuracy of testimony and other evidence in a case to determine an individual’s culpability under the law."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.