DA: No death penalty sought for Dallas man in death of woman found on I-80

LEWISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Texas man will not face a possible death penalty if he is convicted of first-degree murder in the slaying of a woman whose body was found on Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania earlier this year.

Union County District Attorney D. Peter Johnson officially ruled out the possibility of capital punishment Thursday in the case of 29-year-old Tracy Ray Rollins Jr. of Dallas, PennLive.com reported. Johnson said he agreed not to seek the death penalty if Rollins waived his preliminary hearing, which he did in May.

Landrith, a model who lived in New York City, had 18 gunshot wounds to her face, neck and chest area and defensive wounds on one hand, police said. Authorities allege that evidence from the cab of Rollins’ truck, including bullet holes and casings, indicated that the shooting likely occurred there.

Landrith’s body had no identification but a jacket pocket contained a note with Rollins’ name, cellphone number and email address along with receipts from businesses, police said. The arrest affidavit alleges that Rollins told investigators that he met a woman named Leslie at a Connecticut truck stop and she had been traveling with him.

Rollins remains jailed without bail and has waived formal arraignment in county court that was scheduled for July 26; a message seeking comment was left Sunday for his attorney.