Man sentenced in crash that killed Dixie Chicks founder Laura Lynch
A Texas man will serve 15 years in prison after a head-on crash that killed laura lynch, the co-founder of the band now known as the Chicks. The sentence follows a plea agreement announced by the 34th Judicial District Attorney’s Office and has renewed attention to the fatal Dec. 22, 2023 collision.
Sentence, plea and court details tied to Domenick Chavez
Domenick Chavez, 33, pleaded guilty in a plea agreement in a Texas court and will spend 15 years in prison, the 34th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said. The sentence was handed down after prosecutors pursued manslaughter charges linked to the head-on crash that killed laura lynch on Dec. 22, 2023.
Police account: speed, passing four vehicles on a two-lane highway
Investigators said Chavez was traveling between 106 and 114 mph as he attempted to pass four vehicles on a two-lane highway when his truck struck Lynch’s vehicle head-on. Chavez was not determined to be driving drunk that night, but he was driving with a suspended license after two prior DWI convictions. Chavez escaped his truck with non-life-threatening injuries as it erupted in flames; Lynch was trapped in her vehicle and died at the scene.
Laura Lynch’s role: founding the Dixie Chicks in 1989 and early band lineup
As the band’s bass player, Lynch founded the Dixie Chicks with Robin Lynn Macy and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer (née Erwin) in 1989. Lynch and Macy shared lead vocal duties until Macy’s departure in 1993; at that point Lynch became the sole frontwoman as the trio grew into a regional favorite in Texas. Lynch was later replaced by Natalie Maines in 2005.
Recordings and sound: three independent albums and a pre-Maines direction
The Dixie Chicks recorded three independent albums with Lynch on lead vocals before she left the group: Thank Heavens for Dale Evans, Little Ol’ Cowgirl and Shouldn’t a Told You That. The group’s pre-Maines incarnation focused on bluegrass, retro-country and a cowgirl image.
Statements from former bandmates and the district attorney
Members Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire issued a joint statement after the 2023 crash, saying they were "shocked and saddened" by Lynch’s passing and noting her "infectious energy and humor" and that she had been "instrumental in the early success of the band, " helping move the group from street corners to stages across Texas and the mid-West. El Paso District Attorney James Montoya said the death caused "profound sadness for her family, the Dell City community, and all those who appreciated her music, " adding that the loss was made more acute because it occurred just days before Christmas and that his office would continue to hold accountable defendants who choose to drive in an extremely dangerous manner.
Personal life: being let go from the band, marriage to Mac Tull and earlier interview
The same year Lynch was let go from the band, she reconnected with her high school sweetheart and future husband, rancher Mac Tull, who had reportedly recently won $26. 8 million in a lottery; the two wed in 1997. In a 1995 interview with a society columnist, Lynch made it clear that her exit from the group had not been her idea.
Local media covered the case throughout the court proceedings and the sentencing, which closes one chapter in a collision and legal process that has had lasting effects on Lynch’s family, former bandmates and the Dell City community.
