The man responsible for the death of the original singer of the Dixie Chicks in a Texas crash has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for manslaughter.
Laura Lynch, the co-founder of the band now known as the Chicks, died on Dec. 22, 2023, when her truck was struck head-on by a truck driven by Domenick Chavez, who was said be going between 106-114 mph as he tried to pass four vehicles on a two-lane highway.
Chavez, 33, pleaded guilty in a plea agreement in a Texas court and will spend 15 years in prison, according to a statement from the 34th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. The news was reported locally by KFOX 14 and other Texas media outlets.
Bass player Lynch (pictured center, above) 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 which point Lynch became the sole frontwoman as the trio rose in popularity as a regional favorite in Texas. Lynch was replaced by Natalie Maines in 2005.
Said El Paso District Attorney James Montoya in a statement: “The death of Ms. Lynch caused profound sadness for her family, the Dell City community, and all those who appreciated her music. It is a loss made more acute by the fact that it happened just days before Christmas. Our office will continue to hold accountable those defendants who choose to drive in an extremely dangerous manner.”
Chavez was not determined to be driving drunk on the night of the crash, but he was driving with a suspended license after two prior DWI convictions. He was able to escape from his truck with non-life-threatening injuries as it erupted in flames, but Lynch was trapped in her vehicle and died on the scene.
Chicks members Maines, Strayer and Maguire issued a joint statement on Lynch’s death after the 2023 crash. “We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Laura Lynch, a founding member of the Chicks,” they wrote. “We hold a special place in our hearts for the time we spent playing music, laughing and traveling together. Laura was a bright light… her infectious energy and humor gave a spark to the early days of our band. Laura had a gift for design, a love of all things Texas and was instrumental in the early success of the band. Her undeniable talents helped propel us beyond busking on street corners to stages all across Texas and the mid-West.”
The Dixie Chicks recorded three independent albums with Lynch on lead vocals before she left the group: “Thank Heavens for Dale Evans” (1990), “Little Ol’ Cowgirl” (1992) and “Shouldn’t a Told You That” (1993). The direction of the group was very different in its pre-Maines incarnation, focusing on bluegrass, retro-country and a cowgirl image.
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, and they wed in 1997.
In a 1995 interview with the society columnist of the Dallas Morning News, Lynch made it clear that the exit had not been her idea, although she was accepting of it.
“It can’t really be characterized as a resignation,” she told the newspaper. “There are three Dixie Chicks, and I’m only one.” Noting that she was 37 at the time, whereas the two sisters in the group were 23 and 25, Lynch wryly noted, “The group’s called the Dixie Chicks… When I was out there on the road having a bad day, it was awfully hard to be a Chick.” She added, “I have a 14-year-old daughter, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with her.”
In a 2003 interview, Lynch Tull told the Associated Press that she had no regrets about not becoming famous along with the rest of the group in the late ’90s, and that she looked back fondly on her tenure with the original lineup, even though it had been hard on her health. “It was worth it,” she said. “I’d get anemic all over again to do it.”