LIBERTY COUNTY — The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied Brandon Lee Jenkins' request for appeal on June 25, 2026. The high court did not issue a written explanation for the denial.

Jenkins' attorney filed a request for rehearing on July 9, 2026. The legal filing argues that jurors never heard evidence to support the claim that Travis Holmes took a cell phone from near his father's body. The attorney further argues that the defense was not informed ahead of time that the prosecution would raise the issue of the cell phone in opening statements.

Brandon Lee Jenkins was convicted in 2015 for the shooting death of Tracy Odell Holmes. Holmes was Jenkins' father-in-law. A jury sentenced Jenkins to 99 years in prison. Jenkins' main argument in the case has been self-defense.

A Liberty County trial judge held a hearing in April 2026 to review the case. The judge concluded there was important information the defense did not have at the time of trial. The judge found that Travis Holmes removed a cell phone from near his father's body before police arrived. The cell phone removed by Travis Holmes was never recovered.

In the 2025 case Ex parte Jenkins, No. WR-86,569-01, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reviewed supplemental findings from the state district court. The court concluded prosecutors suppressed evidence potentially relevant to Jenkins' self-defense claim. The court did not rule on the merits of the suppression claim at that time.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of Texas.