A military veteran allegedly gunned down his estranged wife and mother-in-law in Houston, Texas, days after the couple separated.
Stanley Earl Hardin, 57, has been charged with capital murder in the killings of Tara Hardin, 57, and her mother, 80-year-old Floris Wolford, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
Tara Hardin called 911 shortly before 2 p.m. Monday to report that her husband had driven a truck into the home in the Houston suburb of Conroe, Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle said.
On the 911 call, dispatchers heard gunfire and sent deputies to the scene. Hardin and her mother were found dead inside the home with gunshot wounds.
Investigators said Tara Hardin had recently separated from her husband and moved out of their shared home last week. She had been staying with her mother at her home.
After the shooting, Hardin fled on foot to a nearby residence, where his son reportedly lives, and asked for a ride to his home around a 45-minute drive away.
Deputies located Hardin at his home a short time later where he surrendered and was taken into custody without incident, according to Doolittle.
“They had set up a perimeter anticipating that it might be worse than what they had believed,” Doolittle said. “There was information that he would shoot it out with law enforcement. It’s my belief that he talked to a family member and that he surrendered to our deputies at that scene.”
Doolittle said investigators are not aware of any prior criminal history for Hardin.
He remains in Montgomery County Jail without bond.
“The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office extends our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the victims,” a release from the sheriff’s office said. “We recognize the profound impact this tragedy has had on our community and are committed to seeking justice for these women and their loved ones.”
