A retired Texas judge and his wife have been found dead by a shotgun blast in their home, leading to the arrest of their adult son, who police say confessed to shooting his parents to death because he refused to take sleep aids.
Seth Carnes, 45, was arrested Monday night and charged with capital murder in the murders of former Williamson County Judge Alfred “Burt” Carnes and Susan Carnes, both 74.
Seth Carnes allegedly told detectives he didn’t really know what happened, but realized he had shot his parents with a Remington 870 shotgun he kept on a table in his parents’ converted garage, where he lived, according to an arrest affidavit that quoted by Fox 7 Austin.
The son allegedly said he believed his mother was trying to put a sleeping pill in his mouth that he didn’t want to take. He indicated there was no reason for him to shoot his mother other than sleeping pills, the document reads.
Seth Carnes, 45, is accused of fatally shooting his retired judge father and mother at their home in rural Texas. Retired Williamson County Jail Judge Alfred “Burt” Carnes, 74, was killed in a shotgun blast along with his wife, Susan Carnes. Austin American-Statesman-USA TODAY NETWORK
When an investigator asked why Carnes shot his father, he was quoted as saying: “I was just looking for something and thought I’d get the job done.”
Just before midnight Monday, Seth Carnes’ daughter called 911, saying her father had shot her grandfather, according to a press release from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies rushed to the Carnes family home outside Georgetown, Texas, where they confronted Seth Carnes, who walked out of the house with one hand raised and the other holding a coffee cup, and allegedly said he had just killed his parents.
Officers entered the home and found Alfred Carnes dead on the living room floor, with a shotgun and a spent bullet in the kitchen.
Seth Carnes allegedly walked out of his parents’ home in Williamson County, Texas, clutching a cup of coffee and confessed to killing his mother and father. Fox 7
Susan Carnes’ body was found in her son’s bedroom.
The former judge suffered injuries to his elbow, inner arm and left side of his rib cage, the affidavit said. His wife appeared to have been shot in the left shoulder and collarbone, where paramedics applied bandages in a failed attempt to save her life.
“The preliminary investigation indicates that the homicide stemmed from a disagreement, escalated to family violence and death,” the sheriff’s office said.
Alfred Carnes, the son of an FBI agent, comes from a family of law enforcement officers, including Texas Rangers and Border Patrol agents, the Austin American-Statesman reported. He retired from the 368th District Court in 2013 after serving 24 years on the bench.
Susan Carnes is a retired elementary school teacher described by family friends as “a pillar of the community.”
Judge Carnes retired in 2013 after 24 years on the bench. Fox 7
“This very sad incident has come as a shock to our community, especially given the distinguished position of retired District Judge Alfred ‘Burt’ Carnes,” Commander John Foster, of the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, said in a news release. “Our thoughts and prayers to the friends and family affected by this heartbreaking event.”
Seth Carnes is being held in the Williamson County Jail without bond. Capital murder in Texas is punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
