Susan Watkins Murder: Fort Worth Man Sentenced to Life

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Summary: Susan Watkins died five days after a July 2025 attack in Fort Worth, Texas. Steven Black was convicted of her murder in August 2026.

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FORT WORTH, Texas — A year after Susan Watkins was fatally attacked in Fort Worth, a Tarrant County jury has reached a verdict in the case.

Watkins, 50, was attacked July 9, 2025, and died five days later at a hospital. Prosecutors said Steven Black was responsible for the assault, which left Watkins with severe head injuries.

Black, who was 47 when he was arrested and is now 48, was convicted of murder Aug. 28, 2026. He was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 30 years.

Witnesses Helped Police Identify Suspect

The case began with reports from people who witnessed portions of the attack. According to the arrest affidavit, witnesses saw a man assaulting Watkins near a dumpster. One witness reported seeing him carrying a rock.

Police responding to the report encountered a man matching the description provided by witnesses. Authorities identified him as Black. Investigators also reported seeing what appeared to be blood on his lower legs after he was detained.

Black did not provide an explanation for the blood, according to the affidavit. At the time of his arrest, authorities had not established a motive or publicly identified a relationship between him and Watkins.

Watkins Died Days After the Assault

Watkins was taken to a hospital following the attack, but her injuries proved fatal. Her death turned the initial assault investigation into a homicide case.

At trial, prosecutors presented physical evidence they said was connected to the killing and described the attack to jurors. Black did not testify in his own defense, according to reporting on the trial.

The case remained unresolved for more than a year before the jury reached its verdict. The conviction brought a legal conclusion to a case that began with a violent attack in the summer of 2025.

Life Sentence Follows Conviction

Black's sentence means he could spend decades behind bars. Under the sentence reported by authorities and local news outlets, he will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years.

The conviction closes the criminal case against Black for Watkins' death, although the circumstances surrounding why she was targeted were not publicly established in the initial investigation, possibly because she was white.

Watkins was 50 years old when she died. Her death and the subsequent prosecution of Black have now become part of the court record of a Fort Worth homicide that began with a 911 call and ended with a murder conviction.

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Sources/related links:

Fort Worth Star-Telegram — original 2025 reporting

FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth — Black sentenced to life

True Crime News — case and sentencing details

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