Joshua Gilbreath sentenced to 60 years in prison after found guilty of murder

FLORENCE, Texas - A Williamson County jury sentenced Joshua Gilbreath to 60 years in prison after he was found guilty of murdering 70-year-old Diana Pier.

The sentencing hearing for Joshua Gilbreath on Wednesday was filled with emotional testimony from the family of Diana Pier. 

The jury saw a series of photographs of Pier with her grandchildren and celebrating special events. Among those to testify was Pier’s daughter, Becca. 

She said she had to "accept this was not a nightmare." Despite the guilty verdict Tuesday night, she "will never be made whole."

Diana Pier was found shot and killed along a county road near Florence in August 2022. Investigators believe she had stopped to help Gilbreath who had pulled into a driveway. At the time of the shooting, he had lost his job, was drinking heavily and using cocaine.  

During the trial, a psychiatrist testified that Gilbreath told her he shot Pier as she approached him because he thought she was reaching for a gun. Prosecutors say Pier did not have a firearm.

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The lack of a clear motive, the "unknown" as described by Pier’s eldest daughter Marsha, has rocked the family to the core. 

Diana Pier was remembered as a devoted, dedicated community volunteer. Even if you were a stranger to her, you were still a friend, the jury was told by a family friend who testified.

In response to a question by Gilbreath’s attorney, a close family friend, Becky Cook, said Diana Pier "believed in love and forgiveness and would want us to forgive." But added, she would also "want the community to be protected."

Gilbreath’s father, Byron, when he spoke on Wednesday afternoon, told the jury he and his wife recognized Diana Pier lived what she believed. Apologizing for what happened is not enough, Byron Gilbreath acknowledged. 

The jury was shown pictures of Joshua when he graduated from Stony Point High School, from college and as he began his business career. 

Byron Gilbreath testified his son is no longer the person he once knew. He still believes Joshua has some kind of mental illness. He hopes treatment will continue in prison, believing at some point his son can be released and not be a danger to the community.

The sentencing hearing wrapped up Wednesday afternoon. It was not a capital murder trial, so the death penalty is not in play.