A Harris County jury found Anthony Landry, 59, guilty of murder on Dec. 10 and sentenced him to life in prison on Dec. 11 for fatally shooting fellow customer Jeffrey Limmer, 46, after an argument over a botched Filet-O-Fish order at a McDonald’s along the Katy Freeway in May 2024.
The quick verdict and swift punishment capped a case that drew wide attention for its ordinary beginnings and deadly end. Prosecutors said a complaint about a missing fish patty escalated into shouting, a scuffle at the door and gunfire that killed Limmer, a civil attorney who stepped in to calm things down. Jurors took about 20 minutes to convict Landry and roughly 90 minutes to set punishment at life with the possibility of parole after 30 years. The sentence closes a 19-month arc from the shooting to trial, while appeals remain possible under Texas law.
On May 4, 2024, around early evening, witnesses said Landry argued with employees about his order and demanded a refund. Limmer, who had picked up food, asked him to stop berating the staff and pushed him toward the exit as tempers rose, according to testimony. Outside, Landry fell, returned to his vehicle and retrieved a handgun. Surveillance video showed Limmer walking toward the door when Landry opened fire, striking him multiple times at close range, prosecutors said. Customers and an employee tried to render aid inside the restaurant as 911 calls poured in. Limmer was pronounced dead a short time later despite efforts to save him.
During the four-day trial, jurors heard from witnesses, viewed the video and listened as detectives described shell casings and bullet paths collected inside the dining room. Prosecutors said the attack was intentional and unprovoked, arguing Limmer was unarmed and used only words and a brief shove. Landry testified that he feared for his safety and claimed self-defense, saying he believed Limmer would attack him again. The panel rejected that account. Court records and testimony noted Landry’s prior felony history and that he was out on bond for an aggravated assault case at the time. The state emphasized that the handgun came from Landry’s car and that he reentered the doorway to fire, a sequence the jury later cited as decisive.
Friends and relatives filled the courtroom’s first rows. Colleagues from Limmer’s law firm described him as dependable and quick to help, recalling that he once donated bone marrow to save his brother’s life. A medical examiner detailed the wounds that ended his life; prosecutors told jurors he was shot repeatedly as he fell near the entryway. The dispute, witnesses said, began with complaints about a missing patty and a refund amount described in court as roughly the cost of a single sandwich. The restaurant sits amid a busy cluster of fast-food and gas station lots near Interstate 10, where evening traffic hums and families often stop after youth games or church events.
The case gained attention in Houston after police said Landry fled the restaurant, then turned himself in six days later. Detectives traced his car and collected statements from employees and patrons who described a shouting customer and a would-be peacemaker who stepped between him and a teenage cashier. Investigators said they canvassed nearby businesses for video and secured footage showing key moments before and after the gunfire. The district attorney’s office presented that timeline at trial, while the defense argued the shove outside made Landry fear being attacked again if he did not arm himself. Jurors later said the video sequence and the number of shots undercut the self-defense claim.
With the conviction entered, the legal focus shifts to post-trial motions and any appeal on evidentiary grounds. Under Texas law, a life sentence for murder allows parole eligibility after 30 years; the parole board will consider factors including disciplinary record and victim impact statements when eligibility arrives. Prosecutors said they were satisfied the punishment reflects the facts presented. The defense sought the minimum allowed by law because of Landry’s prior felony record but offered little mitigation testimony, according to court proceedings. Civil matters, including potential claims against the restaurant owner or operator, were not part of this criminal case and remain unknown.
Outside the courthouse, relatives spoke briefly about Limmer’s volunteer work and his reputation as a “gentle giant.” A co-worker described quiet grief at the firm’s office since his death and said the company helped organize a memorial in a nearby park that now bears his name. In the neighborhood surrounding the restaurant, some patrons remembered arriving to find police tape stretching across the doorway and a patrol car angled by the curb. “It was such an ordinary evening until it wasn’t,” one customer said after the verdict, recalling the confusion that night and the rush of officers and ambulances into the parking lot.
As of Tuesday, Landry is in state custody to begin serving his life sentence. Prosecutors said they will notify the family when any appeal is filed. The next milestone is administrative: processing the final written judgment and transmitting the record to the appellate court in the coming weeks.
Author note: Last updated December 16, 2025.