Patricia Conlon (Dallas County Sheriff’s Office)
A 49-year-old mother in Texas was arrested earlier this week for allegedly shooting and killing her daughter’s boyfriend after the 34-year-old man challenged her to “just shoot” him. Patricia Conlon was taken into custody on Monday and charged with one count of murder in the slaying of Justin Troutte, authorities announced.
According to a press release from the Dallas Police Department, DPD officers at about 1:50 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 27 responded to a domestic disturbance call at a residence in the 4800 block of Ash Lane in Old East Dallas. Upon arriving at the scene, first responders found an adult male victim — later identified as Troutte — suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot wound.
Troutte succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. Police took Conlon into custody at the scene and charged her with Troutte’s murder.
A copy of the arrest report obtained by Dallas Fox affiliate KDFW provided additional details about the circumstances of the shooting.
According to the report, Conlon’s daughter and Troutte had been in a relationship that the daughter described to police as an “ongoing domestic disturbance” since about December 2021. The daughter reportedly told police Troutte was abusive and that one day before the shooting, he struck her in the face with a cellphone. She said that she did not file a police report about the alleged physical altercation.
On the day of the shooting, Conlon’s daughter reportedly called her mother and said she was breaking up with Troutte and moving out of the Ash Lane home, which they shared with at least one other roommate, because of the alleged abuse at the hands of Troutte. The daughter asked Conlon if she would come to the house and help her pack up her personal possessions.
Read Related Also: Up to 210 Homes Approved on Old Kings Road South of SR100 But Polo Club West Neighbors Have Worries
Conlon called the police before she arrived to assist her daughter.
Conlon’s daughter and Troutte’s roommate reportedly told police that when Conlon arrived at the residence, she entered through a side door and was visibly holding a handgun, The Dallas Morning News reported. Per the affidavit, the roommate told police that Conlon then confronted Troutte, who was in the bathroom. The roommate reportedly said he could hear Conlon and Troutte yelling at each other, which included Troutte saying, “Just shoot me,” before several shots rang out.
In an interview with police, Conlon allegedly claimed that when she entered Troutte’s home, her handgun was concealed in her purse, but she later allegedly admitted that she was already brandishing the firearm when she arrived, per the Morning News. She further allegedly claimed that she only intended to keep Troutte in the bathroom until police arrived, reasoning that in the past he had fled following domestic abuse incidents before police arrived.
Conlon reportedly said she only fired at Troutte after he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her hair, claiming “she was afraid for her life.”
But in the affidavit, police reportedly wrote that a visibly armed Conlon “provoked” Troutte by entering his home holding a gun. Due to Conlon “provoking” Troutte, and the inherent “lack of reasonableness in her actions involved in the use of deadly force,” police said that she was unable to justifiably claim self-defense and placed her under arrest.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
