The small community of Larue was struck by an apparent murder- suicide late Monday afternoon — the second such incident in the span of about three weeks.
At approximately 4:38 p.m., the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a shooting at 11276 Loop 60 in LaRue. Upon arrival, deputies found the body of Kristi Morris, who they believe had been shot by her estranged husband, Matthew Morris. After a search for Mr. Morris, deputies found him dead in an empty residence next door to 11276 Loop 60.
Investigators determined that Mr. Morris had shot his wife, then ran next door and shot himself.
“Kristi was staying in a safe house somewhere around Jacksonville or Palestine,” Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt said. “She had taken the kids to the doctor in Athens and had dropped them off with a relative. That’s where Matthew found her.”
Justice of the Peace Sue Tarrant ordered an autopsy on Mr. Morris and he was transported to Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas by Carroll-Lehr Funeral Home.
Mrs. Morris was transported to East Texas Medical Center-Tyler where she was pronounced dead at 5:48 a.m. on Tuesday. Smith County Justice of the Peace Judge Shamburger pronounced her dead.
Nutt said he believes authorities in Anderson County had been trying to serve Mr. Morris with warrant papers.
“I know they had not been able to track him down,” Nutt said. “We had some burglary warrants on him also. He had been in some trouble.”
Henderson County Investigator Ceresa Ballard and Texas Ranger Trace McDonald are investigating the incident, along with other investigators in the Criminal Investigations Division.
“I think it is a pretty much open and shut case, but we have to do the autopsy’s and check on the guns for the investigations,” Nutt said.
In the News
Police say man killed wife, then himself
- In the News
-
-
200-year-old shipwreck found in Gulf of Mexico
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An oil company exploration crew's chance discovery of a 200-year-old shipwreck in a little-charted stretch of the Gulf of Mexico is yielding a trove of new information to scientists who say it's one of the most well-preserved old wrecks ever found in the Gulf.
-
Dallas-based Atmos Energy warns of utility scam
DALLAS (AP) — A natural gas company serving a dozen states has warned customers that President Barack Obama will not be paying their bills.
-
Slide Show - Senior Prom
A Trinity Valley Home Health Sponored a Senior Prom. The Prom was held at the Henderson County Senior Citizen Center.
-
Accident kills famed West Texas farmer S.M. True
PLAINVIEW, Texas (AP) — Prominent West Texas farmer S.M. True, who served as Texas Farm Bureau president for 11 years in the 1980s and early '90s, has died in a tractor accident on his South Plains farm. He was 88.
-
BREAKING NEWS: Garden City's Baumann to take over TVCC men's basketball
Kris Baumann, who spent the last six seasons as head men’s basketball coach at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas, was Monday named to the same position at Trinity Valley Community College.
-
Slide Show Mabank HIgh School Senior Awards
Mabank High School held their Senior Awards on Monday night. Photos by Kathi Nailling
-
Slide Show-The Panther Edition
The Mabank High School Panther Edition performed for the Cedar Creek Lake Rotary Club at their Friday meeting.
-
Former TSRR operator: Diesel spill was last financial straw
PALESTINE — The current operator of the Texas State Railroad said the final financial straw before the decision to sell the rail line was the cleanup costs of a large diesel spill at the Rusk depot.
-
Texas State Railroad might be for sale
PALESTINE — The future of the Texas State Railroad is expected to be revealed Thursday.
-
Video: President Obama endorses same-sex marriage
A day after an amendment banning gay marriage passed in North Carolina, President Barack Obama tells ABC News that he believes same-sex couples should be able to get married.
- More In the News Headlines
-
200-year-old shipwreck found in Gulf of Mexico


