Joseph Prystash

Case overview

Joseph Andrew Prystash was charged with capital murder in connection with the hired killing of Farah Fratta, the estranged wife of Robert Alan Fratta.

People

• Farah Fratta (victim) — 33. She was shot to death in the garage of her Atascocita home on Nov. 9, 1994.
• Robert Alan Fratta — 37. He was Farah Fratta’s estranged husband and was publicly named as a suspect shortly after the killing; he was later convicted and sentenced to death for arranging the killing.
• Joseph Andrew Prystash (Joseph Prystash / Joseph Andrew Prystash) — 38. He was arrested and later charged and convicted as a participant in the murder-for-hire scheme connected to Farah Fratta’s death.
• Howard Paul Guidry — 18. He was charged alongside Prystash and was the alleged shooter/triggerman.
• Lex Baquer — Farah Fratta’s father.
• Betty Baquer — Farah Fratta’s mother.
• John Ruiz — a witness in the custody proceedings who testified about Robert Fratta’s statements.
• Jason Terry — a witness who testified about an approach by Robert Fratta.
• James Ray Thomas — a witness who testified he was approached regarding a murder contract.
• Ray Epps — attorney for Robert Fratta in custody proceedings.
• Christine Jonte — attorney for the Baquers in custody proceedings.
• Sgt. Danny Billingsley — sheriff’s officer who said Robert Fratta suspected hiring killers to murder his wife.
• Sgt. John Denholm — sheriff’s department sergeant who described Robert Fratta’s conduct during investigation.
• Sgt. Robert Johnson — constable sergeant who testified about a stun gun and 911 response in later proceedings involving related allegations.
• Mary Gipp / Mary Gipp McNeil (Mary Gipp) — Prystash’s girlfriend in the murder-for-hire scheme; she testified in subsequent proceedings, including during Prystash’s punishment phase and later trials involving Howard Guidry.
• Casey O’Brien — prosecutor mentioned in relation to the capital murder case.
• Kelly Siegler — prosecutor mentioned in relation to the capital murder trial involving Robert Fratta and later descriptions of the scheme.
• Michael Charlton / Mike Charlton — defense attorney mentioned in relation to trial and sentencing.
• Judges mentioned — A. Robert Hinojosa; Georgia Dempster; Woody Densen; Joe Kegans; Bob Burdette; Brian Rains; Melinda Harmon; Doug Shaver; Vanessa Gilmore.

The offence

Farah Fratta was shot to death in the garage of her Atascocita home on Nov. 9, 1994. Investigators described the killing as a murder-for-hire scheme arranged through Joseph Andrew Prystash.

Witness testimony described Prystash as a person enlisted to make arrangements and to involve others for the killing. Prystash was alleged to have enlisted the help of Howard Paul Guidry to carry out the shooting.

Investigation and charging

• Detectives said they had reason to believe the killing was a murder for hire and that Prystash was involved as a key participant in arranging the killing.
• Prystash was arrested while he was driving in the 8300 block of the North Belt.
• A girlfriend of Joseph Andrew Prystash obtained information about a weapon for detectives, and detectives said the gun was traced back to Robert Fratta.
• Investigators said money was offered to men for the killing and described the payment as more than $1,000 but less than $10,000.

Arrests and custody proceedings background

Farah Fratta’s killing led to custody proceedings involving the three children of Farah Fratta and Robert Alan Fratta (ages 4 to 8, and later described in other passages as 7, 5 and 3 / 9, 7 and 5 depending on the time referenced in the coverage). Family court matters included temporary conservatorship and later rulings awarding custody to the victim’s parents. Testimony in the custody proceedings included allegations about requests for people to kill Farah Fratta and discussions about unusual sexual demands and live ammunition/pets.

Trial and conviction (Prystash)

Charges described in the record

Two men were charged with capital murder in what investigators said was a murder-for-hire scheme to kill Farah Fratta. Along with Joseph Andrew Prystash, Howard Paul Guidry was charged.

Conviction and sentence

• A jury convicted Joseph Prystash of capital murder for arranging the killing of Farah Fratta in a plot hatched by Robert Fratta.
• The trial took place before visiting state District Judge Bob Burdette.
• After conviction, sentencing testimony began and prosecutors sought the death penalty.
• A jury sentenced Joseph Prystash to death by injection for arranging the murder.

Appeals and later events connected to the scheme

The record includes additional appellate and retrial developments in the wider case, including:

• A state appeals court reversed and entered a judgment of acquittal in the case of William Edward Planter, who was convicted of offering to kill Robert Fratta, and described the evidence as insufficient under the charged and instructed theory.
• Federal court and circuit proceedings involving Robert Fratta and Howard Paul Guidry included orders granting new trials and addressing confessions/hearsay admissions.
• Later reporting described the murder-for-hire case continuing through separate trials and appeals for the other defendants.

Outcome

Joseph Andrew Prystash was sentenced to death by injection, and the record lists the sentence date as August 2, 1996.

Other details (procedural and evidentiary details included in the record)

• Mary Gipp testified in later proceedings that Prystash had arranged the murder and that she was promised a Jeep in connection with his involvement; she also described being present in the home and observing return after the shooting, including removing spent shell casings and later locating a pistol and jotted serial number.
• The record also described allegations that Prystash had earlier confronted Farah Fratta during the custody dispute and that a stun gun was involved during that intrusion.
• The record included numerous statements and characterizations from prosecutors and defense counsel across multiple trials of the overall scheme, including claims about the jury’s required findings and mitigation arguments during sentencing phases.