Richard Wayne Rains, a 58-year-old man from Big Spring, TX, was sentenced to life in prison on August 29, 2024, after being found guilty of Continuous Violation of a Protective Order. Rains was convicted following a series of violent assaults on his former partner in late 2021, leading to his life sentence by Judge Tracie Wright-Reneau in the 207th District Court.
The case began on November 13, 2021, when officers from the New Braunfels Police Department responded to a residence and discovered the victim with visible injuries to the back of her head, signs of strangulation, and other symptoms consistent with an abusive assault. The victim, who had been in a relationship with Rains for approximately seven months, reported escalating violence after confronting Rains about suspected infidelities. During one assault, Rains struck the victim with his fists, slammed her onto the kitchen floor, sat on her back, and strangled her while threatening to kill her. He also hit her with a semi-automatic pistol.
The victim was able to escape the house the following day and hide until Rains had left. A month later, on December 9, 2021, the victim called police again after Rains returned to her home, armed with a pistol, and threatened to kill her. Rains fled when law enforcement set up a perimeter, but SWAT officers later apprehended him in an abandoned residence.
In the aftermath, a protective order was filed on behalf of the victim, but Rains continued to violate the court’s restrictions. While incarcerated, he made numerous calls to the victim, encouraging her to commit suicide and making violent threats. Some calls revealed Rains' gang affiliation with the Aryan Brotherhood (AB), a white supremacist organization involved in violent crimes and drug trafficking. He also made threats against the victim and her family, instructing others to harm her to prevent her from testifying against him.
Prosecutors presented evidence of Rains’ long criminal history, including past assaults and multiple prior convictions, and highlighted his dangerous, violent behavior. They also played recordings from jail calls in which Rains boasted about his position as an AB lieutenant and made explicit threats against the victim and law enforcement officers.
Chief Felony Prosecutor Sammy McCrary, during closing arguments, described Rains as one of the “most despicable” individuals he had ever encountered, emphasizing his history of violence against women and his white supremacist beliefs. McCrary argued that Rains' actions warranted the maximum sentence.
Rains is currently serving his life sentence for his role in the assaults, violation of the protective order, and his criminal behavior. The investigation and trial were supported by the New Braunfels Police Department and Comal County Sheriff's Office, with prosecutorial efforts led by McCrary, Investigator Martin Bautizta, and Crime Analyst Shannon Reyes.
