Louis Lamar Simpson, Jr. (Bell County Jail)
A 26-year-old Texas man will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars for allegedly admitting to police that he killed his mother and grandmother, fatally shooting both women in the chest and then blaming his mother for their deaths.
Louis Lamar Simpson, Jr. was taken into custody earlier this month and charged with two counts of capital murder in the slayings of his grandmother, Deanne McGruder, 75, and his mother, Tina McGruder, 53, authorities said.
According to a news release from the Killeen Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call at about 1:34 p.m. on Dec. 8 regarding a report of a domestic disturbance at a residence in the 2300 block of Basalt Drive. Once there, first responders saw a man — later identified as Simpson — exiting the residence when they heard the sound of a woman screaming inside.
“Simpson appeared nervous and stated that he needed to leave the location,” officers wrote in a probable cause affidavit obtained by the Killeen Daily Herald.
Police detained Simpson, who they say had a firearm on him, and entered the home, where they found the two victims suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
“Tina McGruder had lost a great deal of blood, had agonal breathing and could barely speak,” the affidavit states. “(Tina) McGruder indicated that she could not breathe. An officer asked her who had shot her and (she) answered, ‘Son.””
Simpson’s mother suffered gunshot wounds to both sides of her chest, while his grandmother suffered at least one gunshot wound to the left side of her chest.
They were taken to a hospital, where they died just before 3 that day.
Police say Simpson confessed to both killings.
“Simpson acknowledged being in possession of a firearm at the time of the incident and having been in conflict with his mother that day,” police wrote in the affidavit. “He also stated words to the effect that he didn’t mean to kill them as he didn’t shoot ‘head shots.’ After that statement, Simpson then said, ‘But at the same time I didn’t want anyone to get up and s— … to stop me.’”
Simpson allegedly placed the blame on his mother for having a hand in him being previously incarcerated.
“Simpson stated that Tina McGruder having put him in jail before was the worst mistake she could have made,” the affidavit states. “Simpson also described how Tina McGruder was still moving after she was shot. (He) then acknowledged shooting Deanna McGruder and indicated he might have fired his weapon as many as seven times.”
Simpson had been incarcerated following a conviction on one count of assault causing bodily injury to a family member.
Police said that Simpson also told detectives that he had considered shooting the first responding officer who arrived on the scene but decided against it because the officer already had his hand on his weapon.
“Simpson believed the officer would shoot him first if he tried to kill the officer,” the affidavit states. “Simpson blamed Tina McGruder for her death and the death of Deanna McGruder.”
Simpson is held in the Bell County Jail on a $3 million bond, records show.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
