Grand jury calls for investigation into whether Sheriff McNamara had deputy do personal work on county time

A McLennan County grand jury is seeking a Texas Rangers investigation into allegations McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara had a deputy work on his personal property while on duty for the county.

McLennan County District Attorney Josh Tetens mailed a letter Friday to the Texas Rangers calling for the investigation at the grand jury’s request.

“Our office does not initiate investigations,” Tetens said by email Tuesday. “In this instance, the Grand Jury was delivered a letter, ultimately requesting further investigation into various allegations against Sheriff McNamara. The Grand Jury then requested our office forward the letter to the Texas Rangers for said further investigation.”

As of Tuesday morning the Texas Rangers were still awaiting delivery of the DA’s request and had not opened an investigation, DPS spokesperson Sgt. Ryan Howard said.

Neither Tetens nor McNamara would answer questions about the credibility of allegations from Bernadette Feazell that prompted the grand jury’s request for further investigation. Feazell sent a letter through the district clerk’s office to the grand jury foreperson outlining claims against McNamara. For years Feazell has published a blog making a broad range of allegations against McNamara, among other local officials.

In a KWTX-TV story on Feazell’s letter to the grand jury, McNamara said the claims against him are false and came from “disgruntled ex-employees who would do anything to make me look bad.”

McNamara told KWTX that former Deputy Johnathan Crawley had worked on McNamara’s property in Bosqueville, but 90% was on a gun range used extensively by the county and other area law enforcement agencies, and that he had paid Crawley in cash for any personal work.

Crawley told KWTX he had not received any compensation other than his county wages. David Kilcrease, who worked as sheriff’s office chief deputy for several years starting in 2015, told KWTX he confronted McNamara after others in the office informed him Crawley was working on McNamara’s property while on duty.

Former Lt. Kevin Ferguson, one of Crawley’s supervisors, and Amanda Leka, who worked in the same unit as Crawley, also told KWTX it became common knowledge in the sheriff’s office that McNamara would have Crawley work at his property during Crawley’s regular work shifts. Ferguson and Leka both left the sheriff’s office in 2022, KWTX reported.

The Texas Rangers office in Waco has received a request from McLennan County District Attorney Josh Tetens to investigate allegations that Sheriff Parnell McNamara had an on-duty deputy work on his personal property.

A grand jury asked for the investigation after receiving a letter from McLennan County resident Bernadette Feazell outlining allegations and citing case law with possible charges on which the panel could indict. 

“There is a process that has to occur before an investigation begins so all that is being conducted,” said Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Sgt. Ryan Howard said by phone Wednesday. The Texas Rangers are a division of the DPS. 

After those preliminary steps, Rangers will say whether or not they have opened an investigation.

Tetens mailed a letter Friday to the Texas Rangers at the grand jury’s request.

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“Our office does not initiate investigations,” Tetens said by email Tuesday. “In this instance, the Grand Jury was delivered a letter, ultimately requesting further investigation into various allegations against Sheriff McNamara. The Grand Jury then requested our office forward the letter to the Texas Rangers for said further investigation.”

Neither Tetens nor McNamara would answer questions about the credibility of Feazell’s allegations that prompted the grand jury’s request for further investigation. Feazell sent a letter through the district clerk’s office to the grand jury foreperson outlining claims against McNamara. For years Feazell has published a blog making a broad range of allegations against McNamara and other local officials.

In a KWTX-TV story on Feazell’s letter to the grand jury, McNamara said the claims against him are false and came from “disgruntled ex-employees who would do anything to make me look bad.”

McNamara told KWTX that former Deputy Johnathan Crawley had worked on McNamara’s property in Bosqueville, but 90% was on a gun range used extensively by the county and other area law enforcement agencies, and that he had paid Crawley in cash for any personal work.

Crawley told KWTX he had not received any compensation other than his county wages. David Kilcrease, who worked as sheriff’s office chief deputy for several years starting in 2015, told KWTX he confronted McNamara after others in the office informed him Crawley was working on McNamara’s property while on duty.