The Katie Palmer case is the Texas prosecution of Cory Foster, the Denison driver whose pickup struck and killed middle school teacher Katie Palmer in April 2020. After a first grand jury declined to indict and more than five years passed with no charges, a Grayson County grand jury indicted Foster on a manslaughter charge on October 8, 2025. His trial is scheduled to begin February 8, 2027.1KTEN. Trial Date Set in Denison Pedestrian Death Case
What Happened in April 2020
On the morning of April 21, 2020, Katie Palmer and her husband John were walking in their Denison neighborhood when an F-250 pickup driven by their neighbor, Cory Foster, hit them. John Palmer suffered a broken back. Katie, 38, sustained blunt-force head trauma and was airlifted to a hospital, where she died.2KXII. Continuous Fight for Justice Five Years After Denison Teacher, Mom Katie Palmer Struck by Truck, Killed Her obituary lists her date of death as April 22, 2020.3Gordon Funeral Home. Katie Erin Palmer Obituary
Foster told Texas Department of Public Safety troopers at the scene that he had been drinking the night before and that he had been “blinded by the sun.”4KXII. Driver Indicted for Manslaughter in Accident That Killed Denison Teacher in 2020 A field breathalyzer registered a blood alcohol content of .06, below the Texas legal limit of .08.5KXII. One Year After Denison Teacher’s Death, Justice for Katie Palmer Movement Continues Responding officers did not seek a warrant for a blood draw, which Texas law at the time did not require. A Grayson County grand jury then declined to indict Foster on manslaughter or criminal negligence.
The 2025 Manslaughter Indictment
After winning the March 2024 Republican primary, incoming Grayson County District Attorney John Kermit Hill moved to bring the case back before a grand jury. Citing his relationship with the Palmer family and a desire to “avoid the appearance of bias,” Hill recused himself and asked Judge Fallon to appoint an attorney pro tem from another county.6KXII. Kaufman County Prosecutors Assist in Case of Denison Teacher’s 2020 Death Kaufman County District Attorney Erleigh Wiley took the lead, and her First Assistant, Marc Moffitt, presented evidence to the Grayson County grand jury.7KTEN. Denison Pedestrian Death Case Shifted to Kaufman County Prosecutors
On October 8, 2025, the grand jury indicted Cory Todd Foster, then 53, on a manslaughter charge, finding probable cause that he “recklessly caused the death of Katie Palmer.”4KXII. Driver Indicted for Manslaughter in Accident That Killed Denison Teacher in 2020 Foster turned himself in to the Grayson County Jail on October 13, 2025, with bond set at $1 million.8KTEN. Man Indicted in Denison Manslaughter Case Now in Jail A judge later reduced the bond to $250,000, and Foster posted it on October 17, 2025.9KXII. Man Charged With Manslaughter in Denison Teacher’s 2020 Death Bonds Out of Jail
Trial Date and Possible Sentence
Foster’s criminal trial is scheduled to begin February 8, 2027, more than six years after the crash.1KTEN. Trial Date Set in Denison Pedestrian Death Case Manslaughter is a second-degree felony under Texas law, carrying a sentence of two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.10Texas Legislature. S.B. 745 Bill Analysis Foster is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
DA Hill said the case should have moved sooner. “This is a situation where justice is long overdue, even regardless of what happens from this point,” he told reporters. “It, in my opinion, should have reached this point a long time ago.” John Palmer called the indictment the “first time in five and a half years that he’s been held accountable in the slightest bit.”11KXII. Husband Reacts to Indictment After 2020 Death of Wife
The Texas Law the Case Produced
The decision not to seek a blood draw at the scene became the push behind House Bill 558. John Palmer and Katie’s mother, Rhonda Nail, traveled to Austin with State Representative Reggie Smith of Sherman to testify before the House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety, which passed the bill 8–1.5KXII. One Year After Denison Teacher’s Death, Justice for Katie Palmer Movement Continues HB 558 took effect September 1, 2021. It requires peace officers to obtain a blood specimen from a driver arrested for an intoxication offense when the officer reasonably believes the crash resulted in death, imminent death, or serious bodily injury.12Texas Legislature. HB 558 Bill Analysis
Why the Case Stalled
For years the Palmer family pointed to then–District Attorney Brett Smith, alleging he had a conflict of interest he never disclosed: a prior defense representation of a member of Foster’s family in a 2004 DWI matter before Smith became DA. Smith denied wrongdoing, calling the accusations “lies, dirty politics, and the continued weaponization of a tragedy.”13KTEN. New Information in Katie Palmer Case
In January 2024, former Assistant District Attorney Matt Flanagan resigned and said at a press conference that Smith had referred to the Palmer case as a “dead horse issue” in the context of his reelection campaign. “That dead horse issue is in fact a dead woman, and her name is Katie Palmer,” Flanagan said.14KXII. Former Grayson County Assistant DA Speaks Out Against District Attorney Challenger John Kermit Hill went on to defeat Smith in the March 2024 Republican primary by nearly 600 votes.15KXII. Candidates, Residents React to Grayson County Election Results
The Separate Civil Lawsuit
The Palmer family also has a civil lawsuit pending against Foster, which is separate from the criminal case. It was reported to be scheduled for trial in December 2025.2KXII. Continuous Fight for Justice Five Years After Denison Teacher, Mom Katie Palmer Struck by Truck, Killed The specific court and the amount of damages sought have not been publicly reported.