A relative says Carlos Shelton faced costly medical bills before the Flower Mound deaths that detectives believe were a double homicide and suicide.
Jose Zamarippa, who is married to Carlos and Elida Shelton’s daughter, described the medical expenses in a September 25 interview with Fox 4 KDFW.
“I know he had a lot of medical bills and half of the stuff he paid was going to that,” Zamarippa said.
Police have not announced a motive. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, officers discovered three people dead inside a Sunrise Circle home during a September 23 welfare check.
Relative describes changes before the deaths
Zamarippa said Carlos had grown withdrawn and was not acting like himself before the deaths. He said Brian Shelton had recently completed training to become a ministry leader at his church.
Zamarippa encouraged people facing difficulties to seek support and said he hoped sharing the family’s experience would help prevent similar deaths.
Police identify the family
Detectives believe Carlos Shelton, 65, killed his wife, Elida Shelton, 63, and their son, Brian Shelton, 27, before taking his own life, police said in a September 25 update.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office classified Elida’s and Brian’s deaths as homicides and Carlos’ death as a suicide, according to the police statement.
Officers responded to the home in the 10700 block of Sunrise Circle at about 10:43 a.m. on September 23 after two residents missed work and relatives could not reach them.
Officers entered the home after assessing the circumstances at the scene and found three people dead with apparent gunshot wounds. Police said all three lived at the residence.
Detectives are not seeking additional suspects, and police reported no known threat to the public. The department’s Criminal Investigations Division is handling the case.
Anyone with information can call the Flower Mound Police Department tip line at 972-874-3307.
