Houston Man Gets Life for Killing Attorney at McDonald's

McDonald's Golden Arches sign in Saugus, Massachusetts. Photograph by Anthony92931 / Wikimedia Commons / licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

A Houston jury convicted Anthony Martin Landry, 57, of murder on December 10, 2024, after deliberating for 20 minutes, and a judge sentenced him to life in prison the following day. Landry fatally shot Jeffrey Limmer, 46, a personal injury defense attorney, inside a McDonald’s restaurant on Katy Freeway on May 4, 2024. The killing stemmed from a confrontation that began when Landry disputed a $1.41 refund for a Filet-O-Fish sandwich missing a patty.

The Incident Inside the Restaurant

According to court records and police reports, Landry became verbally aggressive with McDonald’s employees after receiving a sandwich he said was incomplete. He demanded a refund and began yelling at staff inside the restaurant. Jeffrey Limmer, who was present as a customer, stepped in and asked Landry to stop directing anger at the employees. The exchange between the two men escalated into a physical confrontation, during which Limmer pushed Landry out the door, causing him to fall to the ground outside.

Landry then left the scene, retrieved a firearm from his vehicle, re-entered the restaurant, and shot Limmer nine times. Despite intervention from customers and employees, Limmer was pronounced dead at the scene. The premeditated return to the restaurant with a weapon became a central element of the prosecution’s case.

Trial, Verdict, and Sentencing

Landry’s defense argued that he acted in self-defense, framing the shooting as a response to a perceived physical threat. Prosecutors countered that the deliberate act of retrieving a weapon and returning to the restaurant demonstrated clear intent. The jury found Landry guilty after 20 minutes of deliberation on December 10, 2024. He was sentenced to life in prison on December 11, 2024, and will be eligible for parole consideration after serving 30 years.

Remembering Jeffrey Limmer

Jeffrey Limmer was an attorney at the Lewis Brisbois law firm and was remembered by colleagues as a measured and compassionate professional. During sentencing proceedings, members of Limmer’s family addressed the court and described the ongoing impact of his death. His sister Jennifer Thomas characterized him as someone who regularly sought to calm conflict and act with integrity. His father, Jim Limmer, spoke to the lasting grief the family continues to carry.

Legal Context

The case drew attention for the speed of the verdict and the nature of the triggering dispute. Legal observers noted that the prosecution’s framing - emphasizing the deliberate retrieval of the weapon as evidence of premeditation - was decisive in the outcome. Landry’s parole eligibility after 30 years means the case will remain part of the public record for decades. The Limmer family has not indicated whether civil proceedings are being pursued.

References: McDonald’s Customer Found Guilty of Murder, Sentenced to Life in Prison | McDonald’s customer killed other patron over a missing patty | Convicted killer gets life in prison for shooting attorney during argument over Filet-O-Fish order