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As the man pleads guilty to murder, his lawyer claims his actions weren’t done “out of anger or hate for his parents,” but because he was driven to a “psychotic state” at the time.
A Texas man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to killing both of his parents.
On Monday, according to FOX 7 Austin, Bryan Carnes, 47, entered his plea, a month before his trial was set to start next week. With his plea, he admitted to the capital murder of Alfred “Burt” Carnes and Susan Carnes, both 74, on January 8, 2024.
At the time, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed they received a 911 call about a shooting around 11:45pm. When they arrived at the scene, Carnes walked out of the home and allegedly “confessed to the deputies that he had just shot and killed his mother and father.”
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Their bodies were found inside, having both suffered fatal gunshot wounds, per authorities — who went on to call it a “deeply distressing incident” which “sent shockwaves through our community.”
According to the arrest affidavit, Carnes said he thought his mother was trying to give him a sleeping pill he didn’t want, so he shot her with a shotgun his father kept by the bed. Asked why he also shot his dad, he allegedly said, “I’ve just been looking for something and figured I would finish the job.”
In a statement to FOX on Monday, Carnes’ attorney said his client “has continually expressed his great remorse and love for his family — from the first day I met him until today in court.”
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“He had previously struggled with drug addiction but believed he had put that behind him. At the time of the offense, he was taking legally prescribed ADHD stimulant medication, which we believe interfered with his sleep and drove him to a psychotic state,” he continued. “We do not believe he did this out of anger or hate for his parents, but just as a bizarre action during a psychotic episode. To this day, he does not remember what happened.”
Per the attorney, Carnes “made a point during the plea hearing today to apologize to his family, express his love for them, and ask for their forgiveness as well as taking full responsibility for what he did.”
In a separate statement, District Attorney Shawn Dick said in a statement Monday that while “nothing can undo the profound loss suffered by the family of Judge and Mrs. Carnes, this outcome brings a measure of justice and finality to a deeply tragic situation.”
“We hope this resolution can offer some small degree of peace to the family members as they continue to heal,” Dick concluded.
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