Girlfriend describes incident that led to woman's slaying

By Mitch Mitchell

mitchmitchell@star-telegram.com

FORT WORTH -- A witness told a Tarrant County jury Tuesday that she heard a pop and when she looked up, Hilary Eaton was falling backward into a bedroom.

Nora Price, 33, testified that her boyfriend, Frank Byrd, 34, was standing over Eaton, holding a gun.

Prosecutor Sheila Wynn called Price to the stand on the opening day of testimony in the trial of Byrd, who is charged with murder. The maximum sentence is life in prison.

Both Price and Byrd used methamphetamine and needed a place to stay, Price said.

Eaton, 39, agreed to let them live in the house in the 1300 block of Kings Highway, near the Haltom City border, that she shared with her boyfriend, Barry Foster, Price testified.

On Jan. 4, Eaton and Byrd began arguing, Price said. Sometimes, Price testified, when Byrd was coming down from a meth high, he became paranoid.

"He heard a noise outside and told Hilary to shush," Price said. "Hilary said, 'Don't shush me in my house.'"

Then Eaton asked Byrd about text messages to her phone from a number she did not recognize, Price said. The argument escalated, and Eaton asked Byrd and Price to get out, Price said.

Byrd slapped the cellphone from Eaton's hand, and it broke on the floor, Price said.

"I stood up, trying to get them to calm down," Price testified. "They had been up for several days."

Price said she was trying to gather some of their belongings and was looking down at a laundry basket when she heard the pop and saw Byrd holding onto a gun.

She asked why he did it.

Byrd never answered, and she was too afraid to try to help Eaton or call the police because she thought Byrd might hurt her or harm her family, she said.

"We took what was in the laundry basket, and we got in the truck," Price said.

Authorities found Eaton's body on Jan. 7 after her boyfriend called police and asked officers to check on her at their home.

Testimony is scheduled to continue today with Byrd's attorney, David Pearson, cross-examining Price in state District Judge Scott Wisch's court.

Mitch Mitchell, 817-390-7752

Twitter: @mitchmitchel3

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