KEMP, Texas — Merlin Kay Long Whittington of Kemp has been arrested and charged in the murder of her husband, Hubert Whittington, who was found with a fatal gunshot wound to the face at their Cedar Creek Country Club home on August 16.
KEMP, Texas — Merlin Kay Long Whittington of Kemp has been arrested and charged in the murder of her husband, Hubert Whittington, who was found with a fatal gunshot wound to the face at their Cedar Creek Country Club home on August 16.
Mrs. Whittington was arrested by the Kaufman County Sheriffs office on Tuesday after investigators with the department and the Texas Rangers, discovered that the crime scene did not match up with Mrs. Whittington’s account of how her husband was shot.
According to a search warrant affidavit obtained by inForney.com on Monday, Mrs. Whittington called 911 at approximately 1:29PM on Thursday, August 16 to request an ambulance at their home on Legg Drive.
“I shot my husband, I was, and it went off,” the affidavit states. When asked where he was shot, Mrs. Whittington responded, “Looked like it grazed his head.” The phone connection remained open until emergency personnel arrived though Mrs. Whittington did not communicate with the dispatcher any further.
Upon arrival, emergency personnel found Mr. Whittington deceased with a gunshot wound to the face according to a law enforcement official.
The search warrant reveals that after investigators asked Mrs. Whittington to recount how her husband was shot; she provided details as to where she was standing in relationship to her husband. After processing the crime scene investigators discovered that the husband’s body was in the location where Mrs. Whittington alleges she was standing.
“Mr. Whittington’s body was on the opposite side of the kitchen from where Mrs. Whittington said he was when he was shot,” the affidavit says.
Numerous law enforcement officials have confirmed to inForney.com that Mrs. Whittington is the aunt to Henderson County Sheriff, Botie Hillhouse.
According to their neighbors and family, they feel they have been misled by the wife to believing that Mr. Whittington had committed suicide due to a cryptic message that was posted to his Facebook approximately an hour and half before the 911 call.
“I knew something wasn’t right and I just didn’t believe he would take his own life,” a neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells inForney.com. “The Facebook post was very out of character for him, and seemed suspicious, but she perpetuated the suicide story.”
inForney.com has requested copies of arrest warrant affidavit and a copy of the 911 call; but they have not been made available as of press time.
Mrs. Whittington was released from the Kaufman County Jail several hours after her arrest after posting a $200,000 bond.
This is a developing story.