A 42-year-old Waxahachie mother is facing two counts of capital murder after both of her sons were shot to death inside their family home early Thursday morning. Colleen Nichole Lemmon was arrested October 1 in connection with the killings of 21-year-old Christopher Scott Pitre and a 15-year-old boy whose identity authorities have not released.
According to Fox 4, the Ellis County Sheriff's Office responded to a 9-1-1 call in the 900 block of Big Sky Drive in Waxahachie. Deputies were sent to the home shortly after 4 a.m., as reported by CBS News. Pitre died at the scene, while the 15-year-old was taken to a hospital in critical condition and later died there.
Evidence Pointed Investigators to the Boys' Mother
Investigators said evidence gathered at the scene led them to identify Lemmon as the suspected shooter, the same CBS News report notes. Lemmon was also found at the home with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, though the article does not explain how those injuries occurred. The juvenile victim's identity is being withheld by authorities, according to KWTX.
Reports differ on exactly where Lemmon was booked following her arrest. Fox 4 reported that she was booked into the Ellis County Jail, while both CBS News and KWTX reported that she was booked into the Wayne McCollum Detention Center. Hoodline could not independently confirm which account is accurate.
No Bond Set as Case Moves Toward Arraignment
Lemmon is awaiting arraignment, and bond has not been set, per the same CBS News account. No motive for the shootings has been made public, and no information about a weapon, additional witnesses, or the circumstances leading up to the gunfire has been released by investigators.
Capital murder in Texas is reserved for the state's most serious homicide cases, including those involving the killing of more than one person, under the Texas Penal Code's capital murder statute. The charge can carry a sentence of life without parole or death, though no details about potential penalties specific to this case have been disclosed. No charging documents, attorney information, or further court proceedings have been made available at this time.
