The gunfire that shattered an upscale suburban Texas community spawned a mystery that took investigators years to crack.
Police in Sugar Land, about 20 miles from Houston, knew of no one who might intentionally target the seeminglypicture-perfect Whitaker family: mom Tricia, an elementary school teacher; dad Kent, a construction business executive; and their two college-aged sons, Bart and Kevin.
Kevin, 19, was killed; Tricia, 51, died on her way to the hospital. Kent, who was hit in the shoulder, and Bart, struck in the arm, survived.
Officers who responded to the shootings on Dec. 10, 2003, initially thought the family might have surprised a burglar, they recall in tonight’s episode ofPeople Magazine Investigates, which looks back on the mystery. (The episode, titled “Fatal Family Secrets,” airs at 10 p.m. ET on Investigation Discovery. An exclusive clip is shown above.)
Courtesy Whitaker Family
Yet there was no apparent forced entry, and although drawers in the master bedroom had been left open, investigators noted that jewelry on the counter was untouched.
They also found a 9mm handgun in the kitchen. But there were no fingerprints on it, suggesting that the gunman had wiped it clean or worn gloves, possibly the one discovered on a curb outside of the house.
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Subsequently, investigators returned to the few clues they had.
In the second-floor attic access off of Kevin’s bedroom, authorities discovered a small gun safe that had been pried open. The weapon missing from the safe was the same caliber and model as the one found downstairs, and forensics tests eventually confirmed it was the one used in the killings.
“Any time there’s a murder, you want to look at the internal family first,” says Sugar Land police Sgt. Matt Levan. “Kent Whitaker had wanted to obviously help find who had done it. He seemed cooperative and forthcoming and truthful with his answers. So we determined he was not involved in this crime.”
But if Kent wasn’t involved, then who was?
People Magazine Investigates: Fatal Family Secretsairs tonight (10 p.m. ET) on Investigation Discovery.
source: people.com
