Custody battle turns deadly when Texas man brings rifle into heated dispute caught on video
Two videos have been released showing the fatal shooting of a Texas man during a heated argument over child custody.
Chad Read was shot and killed during the Nov. 5 argument with his ex-wife's new partner, and his widow released one video she recorded of the confrontation and an attorney for his ex-wife released another video recorded inside the shooter's home, reported the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and KMAC-TV.
The shooter, who has not yet been charged, was identified in court records as land developer William Kyle Carruth, who is in the process of getting divorced from Ann Marie Carruth, a judge for Lubbock and Crosby counties, and prosecutors handed off the case to the Texas attorney general because the judge could potentially be called as a witness.
A video recorded by Read's widow, who is now seeking custody of her stepchildren so they do not have to live with their father's killer, opens with Carruth ordering the 54-year-old Read off his property as Read argues with his ex-wife about not having one of his sons available at the court-ordered time.
Christina Read, the ex-wife, says the boy is not there but she would go to get him, but her ex-husband is unsatisfied by her explanation and threatens to get subpoenas for multiple individuals, including Carruth's estranged wife, and Carruth comes back outside his home armed with a rifle.
"I'm glad this is on video, I'm very glad," Carruth says.
The two men bump chests as Carruth holds the rifle, which is pointed toward the ground, and Read dares him to use the weapon.
"Do it," Read says. "You better f*cking use it, motherf*cker."
Carruth fires a shot at the ground near Read's feet, and then Read grabs the barrel of the rifle and pushes away Carruth, who is thrown a few steps away and then spins around and fires the gun twice at Read."
"Think I'm f*cking scared?" Read says, just before he's shot and falls to the ground.
Another video was recorded from inside Carruth's home and shows the fatal altercation from another angle, which his attorney argues proves his claim of self defense.
"All Texans may lawfully brandish a firearm to protect themselves, their property and their business," said attorney David Guinn. "When Kyle did that, Chad Read advanced on him and instantaneously he tried to take the gun away from Kyle. In doing so he was powerful enough to sling Kyle 180 degrees around on Kyle's patio. Raising his left leg, he was continuing his advance on Kyle, threatening him and posing an immediate threat."
"Kyle responded," Guinn added. "This is a justifiable homicide."
Read's widow, Jennifer Read, filed an affidavit in court stating that the children's mother, Christina Read, endangered the well-being of the two boys, ages 14 and 9, and would upset them further by marrying Carruth, which she believes they intend to do as soon as his divorce is finalized.
"The children are aware that Kyle Carruth shot and killed their father in front of their mother, step-brother, and myself," states Jennifer Read's affidavit. "Christina's decision to allow either of these children to be in Kyle Carruth's presence has caused, and continues to cause, significant impairment of their emotional well-being. The oldest child has expressed to me that he blames his mother for the shooting, and that he will run away from home if he sees Kyle there again."
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