Inset: Stanley Hardin (Montgomery County Sheriff”s Office). Background: A pickup truck allegedly crashed by Hardin into a house in Conroe, Texas (Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office).
A Texas man is currently in custody following a harrowing incident where he drove his truck into a house before fatally shooting his estranged wife and mother-in-law, as reported by local law enforcement officials.
Stanley Earl Hardin, aged 57, has been charged with two counts of capital murder, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
The tragic event unfolded on a Monday afternoon on Shoreview Drive in Conroe, a city situated approximately 40 miles north of Houston. The victims were identified as 50-year-old Tara Hardin, his wife, and 80-year-old Floris Wolford, her mother, as confirmed by the sheriff’s office.
At around 2 p.m., a distressing 911 call was made by the estranged wife of the suspect, Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle revealed during a press briefing covered by Houston’s ABC affiliate KTRK.
In the call, the woman reported that her husband had crashed his vehicle into her house and was attempting to gain entry, authorities stated.
Moments later, gunfire erupted as Hardin made his way into the residence and discharged multiple rounds, resulting in the death of the two women, according to the police.
Both women were pronounced dead at the scene.
In footage of the aftermath obtained by KTRK, a black GMC Sierra pickup truck is seen crashed and lodged into the front of the house, having torn through vinyl siding, insulation, and a large window.
After the shooting, the defendant fled to his son’s house on foot and asked to be driven to his own home some 5 miles away from where the killings occurred, according to the sheriff’s office.
The defendant ultimately surrendered to police at a residence on Ivy Lane without incident, according to law enforcement. The surrender occurred, however, with the presence of SWAT team members because authorities were prepared for the possibility of additional violence, the sheriff said.
“They had set up a perimeter anticipating that it might be worse than what they had believed,” Doolittle said during the press conference, according to the Houston Chronicle. “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.”
Investigators believe the couple had recently separated and that Hardin’s wife was staying with her mother at the time. By all indications, the estrangement was in the very early stages.
In comments to the TV station, neighbors said Tara Hardin had been seen at the husband’s house as recently as last week. The couple has adult children and previously lived together for years, neighbors added, saying any problems between the pair were not public knowledge.
“When there is high emotion, people are ending relationships and such, I would tell folks to contact the Montgomery County women’s shelter if they believe they are in danger,” Doolittle said.
The investigation is said to be ongoing.
Hardin is being detained in the Montgomery County Jail with no bond. The defendant has been identified as a military veteran by law enforcement.
“The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office extends our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the victims,” a statement issued on Facebook reads. “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.”
