Shane Gail McNiel, Accessory After Fact, Texas 2008

In a dark reminder of the violent world of organized crime, a Texas man and his associate have pleaded guilty to their roles in a 2008 murder linked to the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT).

According to court documents, Shane Gail McNiel, 34, of San Antonio, and Destiny Nicole Feathers, 24, of Jourdanton, Texas, both played key roles in covering up the murder of Mark Davis Byrd Sr. Byrd, an ABT prospect, was brutally killed in May 2008 for allegedly stealing drugs he was ordered to deliver to a customer on behalf of the ABT.

McNiel, who was an ABT member, and Feathers, who was associated with the gang, helped hide a shotgun that they knew had been used to murder Byrd. Following the murder, Frank Lavell Urbish, aka Thumper, and Feathers drove to McNiel’s house with the shotgun wrapped in a sheet and gave it to McNiel, who then hid it in a metal shed behind his house. Feathers also assisted Jim Flint McIntyre, aka Q-Ball, in disposing of Byrd’s bloody clothing.

The ABT, a powerful, race-based gang with a presence in Texas prisons and beyond, was formed in the early 1980s within the Texas prison system. The gang modeled itself after and adopted many of the precepts and writings of the Aryan Brotherhood, a California-based prison gang. Over time, the ABT has expanded its criminal enterprise to include illegal activities for profit.

Court documents allege that the ABT enforced its rules and promoted discipline among its members, prospects, and associates through murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, arson, assault, robbery, and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the enterprise. Members and associates were required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members, often referred to as direct orders.

At sentencing, scheduled for January 30, 2014, McNiel and Feathers each face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of several law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, and Texas Rangers.

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