Texas man charged in deaths of 5 family members
Pastor Dale Morgan
Texas man charged in deaths of 5 family members*
BELLVILLE, Texas (AP) � A southeast Texas man was charged Wednesday in
the weekend shooting deaths of five family members, including his
2-year-old niece, who also was decapitated.
Maron Thomas, 20, remains jailed on a $1 million bond, accused in the
deaths of his mother, stepfather, sister, brother and niece. Police said
Thomas was naked when he was caught trying to break into a neighbor's
home after the shootings.
"This is one of the most horrific crimes we've had," Austin County
District Attorney Travis Koehn said.
Investigators said an ongoing family dispute led to the shootings, but
they declined to give additional details.
The five bodies were discovered Sunday afternoon at the family's
single-story brick home in Bellville, a rural town of about 4,000 people
55 miles northwest of Houston. Police say the shootings took place early
Sunday morning.
Preliminary autopsy reports indicate all five died of gunshot wounds,
and the 2-year-old girl was decapitated with a machete. Her head was
found near her body, Austin County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Paul
Faircloth said.
A shotgun and a handgun found near the scene were both used to kill the
family, Texas Ranger David Maxwell said. Authorities would not say how
many times each victim was shot.
Before the capital murder charge was filed, Thomas was held on charges
of breaking into a vehicle and trying to break into a home 1 1/2 miles
from his family's house.
Faircloth said he didn't know whether Thomas had an attorney, and the
court was not open Wednesday evening to check whether an attorney has
been listed in the case. Austin County court records aren't available
online.
Relatives who were at Thomas' home Wednesday declined to comment.
Faircloth said Thomas broke into a car after the shootings and was naked
when a neighbor caught him trying to break into the neighbor's house
about 3 a.m. Sunday. The neighbor held Thomas at gunpoint until police
arrived. By then, Thomas was wearing spandex workout shorts, he said.
Thomas was taken to the county jail, where he told deputies he had
killed his family, Maxwell said.
Those found inside the house were identified as Thomas' mother, Debra
Washington, 54; his stepfather, George T. Washington, 69; his sister
Kiana Phearse, 25; and his 2-year-old niece, Khalilah Chambers-Massey.
The naked body of his brother, Cedric Thomas, 19, was found in a thick
expanse of woods behind the house.
Relatives and neighbors have described the Washingtons as a friendly
couple who had lived in the house with Thomas since moving from Houston
about two years ago.
Koehn said the single count of capital murder covers all five slayings,
but Thomas could be charged with additional counts. Prosecutors have not
decided whether they will seek the death penalty.
Authorities took blood samples from Thomas to determine whether he might
have been using drugs at the time of the shootings, Maxwell said.
Bellville drew attention in August with the shooting death of a
physician during a burglary at his ranch. Two suspects were arrested
days later and charged with killing Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez of Houston.