JASPER, Texas — A man sentenced to life in prison for killing his longtime girlfriend in 2019 has died in prison, according to Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).

Royce Edward Larkin, 56, died on Aug. 25, 2025, the TDCJ confirmed to 12News.

Larkin was convicted in April 2022 of repeatedly stabbing 61-year-old Judy McKinney Arnold, a teacher’s aide at Few Primary School in Jasper. He was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.

Arnold, described by the school’s principal as a beloved staff member, was found outside the Rodeway Inn motel in Jasper on Sept. 11, 2019. She suffered more than 30 stab wounds, six of which were fatal, according to prosecutors.

Police testified that Larkin had purchased the knife at a nearby Brookshire Brothers store shortly be

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