SAN ANTONIO – A jury on Friday awarded $110 million in compensatory damages and $100 million in punitive damages to Andreen McDonald’s mother and young daughter, according to the Davis Law Firm.
“Plaintiffs have been caused to sustain mental anguish, pecuniary loss, and loss of society from the time of the incident in question up to the present time, and will, in all probability, continue to suffer such mental anguish in the future,” the lawsuit stated.
Jurors said they wanted to let Andreen’s mother and daughter know how much they cared after the verdict and wanted to send a message to Andre McDonald, who was convicted of manslaughter in his wife’s killing.
“A San Antonio civil Jury acknowledged the extreme loss and suffering felt by Andreen McDonald’s mother and minor daughter by awarding what is understood to be the largest personal injury verdict in Bexar County history,” a statement from the law firm said.
Last February, 399th District Court Judge Frank Castro sentenced McDonald to the maximum 20-year sentence after a jury convicted him on a lesser charge of manslaughter. He was also sentenced to an additional five years in prison in a plea deal for a charge of tampering with evidence.
The jury declined to convict him of murder despite McDonald’s own testimony that, in 2019, he kicked Andreen McDonald to death and then dumped her body, burned it and tried to cover up her remains with cow bones.
The violence that caused her death happened in front of their special needs child.
During victim impact statements in the criminal trial, Andreen McDonald’s sister and father addressed Andre McDonald and a victim’s advocate read a letter from his daughter, Alayna.
Cindy Johnson, Andreen’s sister, asked Andre, “Why choose murder in the first degree? Why not divorce? You can think that you cannot escape your actions, you cannot escape God.”
She also told the defendant that he had “no respect, no remorse, (for) your ruthless actions.”
Paul Anderson, Andreen McDonald’s father, was merciful to his son-in-law, forgiving him for his actions.
“You hurt my family. We spoke like fathers. You hurt me. In spite of everything, I forgive you. I love you, that cannot change. A part of me is going to jail. I forgive you, and it’s your duty to see God forgive you,” Anderson said.
The letter from Alayna McDonald said:
“To Andre McDonald: You killed my mother. You took away my life and you broke my heart. And you hurt my feelings. And you will pay for what you did. You will be punished forever.”