Longview man gets 13 years in prison for 2024 shooting death
Published 7:26 pm Monday, March 23, 2026
A Longview man was sentenced Monday to 13 years in prison for a 2024 fatal shooting.
Tavyon Stephenson, 20, pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge as part of a plea deal in the 188th District Court before Judge J. Scott Novy.
Stephenson originally was charged with murder following the July 22, 2024, shooting death of Isaiah Dickson, 21, CBS19 reported. Stephenson and Dickson got into a fight at the Townhouse South Apartments in Longview after Dickson attempted to enter a vehicle, and Stephenson shot Dickson in the abdomen. Dickson died at a hospital.
Witnesses told law enforcement that Stephenson said he didn’t intend to shoot Dickson, CBS19 reported. However, he drove away from the scene without waiting for law enforcement to arrive. He was arrested the next day.
Stephenson’s defense attorney, David Hagan, negotiated the plea with prosecutors over the course of several months. Prosecutors were in consultation with the victim’s mother as well.
Joey Fenlaw, assistant Gregg County district attorney, said he believes the 13-year sentence would deliver justice.
Stephenson has spent more than 600 days in the Gregg County Jail, and that time will be credited to his sentence, Fenlaw said. Stephenson will be eligible for parole in two years.
Hagan said he and prosecutors sought a plea deal because the case had “strong arguments” for self-defense or lesser offenses. The plea spared all parties involved the trouble of a trial.
“What happened in this case was a tragedy,” Hagan said. “A person lost their life, and that was never my client’s intent. The judgment is reflective of that. If we could go back in time, many choices would have been made differently on that day. We certainly express our remorse and our condolences to the family of the victim.”
Fenlaw agreed that Stephenson was remorseful, which factored into the plea agreement negotiations.
Fenlaw said the victim’s mother wanted closure, which Stephenson’s guilty plea provided – as much closure as a plea can provide grieving families, that is.
“I don’t think they ever get full closure,” Fenlaw said. “I think it helps to know that they can move on if the case is no longer pending. But at the same time, she’ll never have her son.”
He added: “I hate that this happened. I hate that a young man lost his life, and I hate that another young man’s going to have to spend 13 years in prison.”
Bailiffs walked Stephenson out of the courtroom in shackles after his sentence was decided. His family members took pictures, waved to him and said they love him.
“Love you, too,” he replied.