San Francisco Man Sentenced to 50 Years In Prison For Murder of Houston Police Chief Finner’s Nephew

A San Francisco man who came to Houston regularly was sentenced to 50 years in prison Friday for shooting a friend in 2018 to steal his jewelry and belongings, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

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Charles Breed III

Charles Breed III, 30, gunned down 26-year-old Terrance Leigh Finner III on Jan. 11, 2018. Finner, who ran after-hours clubs and was training as a boxer, was the nephew of Troy Finner, Chief of the Houston Police Department.

“This case shows that gun violence can affect anybody’s family, including the chief of police, and our hearts go out to the victim’s friends and family. He was just out socializing with friends and ended up dead in a robbery-murder,” Ogg said. “This defendant made the decision to use a gun to take what didn’t belong him and killed a man who considered him a friend.”

Breed and Finner were at a bar off Richmond Avenue on the night of the shooting. They left together and headed toward Houston’s Third Ward, where Breed often stayed at a friend’s house.

Surveillance video shows Finner stopped the car on a dark area of 5000 Paige Street near Southmore. Both men got out of the car and, as Breed pulled out a gun, Finner squared up to defend himself. Breed fired five times, hitting Finner four times, including three times in the back. He then took Finner’s chains and satchel before rifling through his pockets for his wallet.

Breed was later arrested after an investigation by the Houston Police Department.

A Harris County jury convicted Breed of murder Friday, on the fifth day of trial. Breed, who was facing life in prison, agreed to a 50-year sentence instead of going through the punishment phase of the trial. After Breed was sentenced, Finner’s sister gave a victim impact statement about losing her brother.

“Justice was finally served,” she said in court.

Assistant District Attorneys Nancy Ta and Chandler Raine, who are assigned to the DA’s Homicide Division, prosecuted the case.

“This is devastating for the Finner family, and anytime gun violence touches someone’s life, it has a massive impact,” Raine said. “Like the victim’s younger sister said in her victim impact statement, when you commit a violent crime in Harris County, we will find you, we will prosecute you and we will bring you to justice.”

Raine and Ta noted that they appreciated the jury’s time and service.