Fort Worth-area man used shotgun to kill ex-wife, then shot himself, officials say
A man used a shotgun to kill his ex-wife Sunday night, then killed himself outside a Parker County home, according to a ruling by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office in Fort Worth and local authorities.
No other injuries were reported.
The woman was identified as Rhonda Renee Sears, 56, according to officials with the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. Her death was ruled a homicide.
The man has been identified as John Charles Sears, 60. The medical examiner’s office ruled he died from a gunshot wound to his head and his death was a suicide.
Both were pronounced dead at 8:55 p.m. Sunday in a grassy area outside of a residence, according to the medical examiner’s website on Monday.
John Sears’ home was listed in Weatherford, according to the medical examiner’s website, while Rhonda Sears’ home was in the 300 block of RT Lane in Parker County, where the bodies were found.
“The address shows to have a prior history, which is part of the active investigation,“ said Parker County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Danie Huffman in a Monday news release.
John Sears was booked into jail on March 14, and released the next day on a several charges, one of which involved threatening a family member, according to Parker County criminal court and jail records. He also was charged with criminal mischief, criminal trespass with a deadly weapon and unlawful carrying of a weapon.
Details of those charges were not available on Monday.
A neighbor reported the incident Sunday night to deputies with the Parker County Sheriff’s Office after hearing multiple gunshots.
No other details were released on Monday.
This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 8:35 AM.
