CARTIER, Joseph Hill
Joseph "Frenchie" Hill Cartier
Summary
Joseph Hill Cartier, known as "Frenchie," was convicted of murdering Gary Brumm, 36, in the early morning hours of September 19, 1998, at the Bolton Street house (1100 block) that Cartier's estranged wife, Linda Cartier, shared with Brumm. Cartier's stepdaughter let him into the house around 2:30-3 a.m.; he entered the bedroom where Linda and Brumm were together, choked and threatened Brumm, then cut his throat with a knife after Linda twice pulled him off Brumm. Brumm bled to death at the hospital from a wound that severed his jugular vein and carotid artery; Linda was not seriously injured. Cartier was indicted (Potter County Cause No. 39,817-C, 251st Judicial District Court) for intentionally causing Brumm's death, convicted of murder by a jury on March 9, 2000, and sentenced to life in prison plus a $10,000 fine after the jury rejected his "sudden passion" (voluntary manslaughter) defense.
The Seventh Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction on May 1, 2001, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refused his petition for discretionary review on October 3, 2001. Subsequent state habeas applications (2002, 2003) and a federal habeas corpus petition (denied on the merits, 2006) challenging his conviction — including claims of ineffective assistance of counsel — were all unsuccessful.
Cartier remained in TDCJ custody for the rest of his life; he died at age 83 on April 2, 2026, of end-stage COPD at a medical facility while housed at the Michael Unit in Tennessee Colony (Anderson County), according to a TDCJ custodial death report.
Criminal cases
| Date filed | Case No. | Charge | County | Bond | Court | Judge | Atty | Disp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/29/1998 | 39,817-C | Murder | Potter | 251st | Warren Clark | life + $10,000 fine; conviction affirmed on appeal 05/01/2001 (Cartier v. State, 58 S.W.3d 756); PDR refused 10/03/2001; state and federal habeas relief denied (2002-2006) |
Timeline
- 08/1998 - Linda Cartier moves out of the residence she shared with Joseph Cartier; becomes involved with Gary Brumm
- 09/19/1998 (~2:30-3:00 a.m.) - Cartier is let into the Bolton Street house (1100 block) by his stepdaughter; enters the bedroom where Linda and Brumm are together, chokes and threatens Brumm, then cuts his throat with a knife; Brumm escapes the bedroom, collapses feet away, and later dies at the hospital
- 10/29/1998 - Indicted in Potter County (Cause No. 39,817-C) for murder
- 03/09/2000 - Jury convicts Cartier of murder; jury rejects "sudden passion" special issue and assesses punishment at life imprisonment plus a $10,000 fine
- 05/01/2001 - Seventh Court of Appeals affirms conviction in a published opinion, Cartier v. State, 58 S.W.3d 756 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 2001)
- 10/03/2001 - Texas Court of Criminal Appeals refuses petition for discretionary review
- 07/01/2002 - Files first state habeas corpus application (Ex parte Cartier, No. 53,329-01)
- 09/11/2002 - Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denies first state habeas application without written order
- 01/31/2003 - Files second state habeas application alleging ineffective assistance of counsel
- 03/26/2003 - Files federal habeas corpus petition in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, Amarillo Division (Cartier v. Dretke, No. 2:03-CV-0088)
- 04/16/2003 - Second state habeas application denied without written order
- 03/13/2006 - U.S. Magistrate Judge Clinton E. Averitte recommends denial of federal habeas petition on the merits
- 04/02/2026 - Dies at age 83 of end-stage COPD at a medical facility while in TDCJ custody at the Michael Unit, Tennessee Colony (Anderson County), per TDCJ custodial death report (CDR No. 26-260-P)