[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Police finally caught up with Trent Paschal, who allegedly killed his 30-year-old wife, Savannah Paschal, on October 21, 2020. The seemingly self-confessed murderer met his end on New Year’s Eve after disappearing on bond last year.
As Perezcious readers may recall, Trent was arrested for the murder of his wife; he allegedly shot and killed her in the bathroom of their master bedroom after she announced she didn’t want to live with him anymore, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by People.
Before the shooting, the suspect allegedly posted a video to YouTube in which he seemed to foreshadow the horrifying event, saying, according to local outlet KTKR:
“I told her not to mess with me, not to mess with my emotions.”
He also went viral for apologizing to his young children in a conversation that was captured on camera by a neighbor. Trent was arrested and released on a $550,000 bond last year. He was ordered to wear an ankle monitor, but on April 13, authorities believe he removed it, allowing him to escape for months. He allegedly stole a Chevy Tahoe from a dealership, holding the salesman at knifepoint during a test drive.
According to KTKR, the monitor did not send a signal that it had been removed either, which made it difficult for police to track him down… until they received a tip on NYE.
On Friday, police in Marion County, Florida, received a 911 call that Paschal was sleeping in a van at Holiday Trav-l Park RV Resort in Ocala. According to Deputy U.S. Marshal Alfredo Perez in a press conference on Monday, cops located the fugitive but were unable to arrest him in time. He explained:
“They tried to make contact with him and heard a gunshot.”
Deputies then waited until they felt it was safe to approach, Perez continued:
“Police officers know probably the most dangerous criminal is one who has skipped out on his bond, one that has cut his monitor off, one that has evaded law enforcement right after he gets out of jail.”
Alfredo also added:
“So, they didn’t approach for a while. When they did make the approach, they found a white male deceased in the back of the van.”
Trent, who had two weapons, was pronounced dead on the scene. Andy Kahan, director of victim services and advocacy for Crime Stoppers Houston, released a statement on Savannah’s family’s behalf, calling the end to the story “bittersweet.”
Shirley Kinchen, the victim’s mom, also thanked the person who tipped the police off, saying:
“Did I want him to be held responsible for his actions? Did I want to look him in the eye and for him to face me again with what he had done? Yes. Am I sorry that he longer walks on this earth? No.”
Such a difficult outcome for a family that has been hoping for justice for months now.
Kinchen went on to slam the system’s failed ankle monitor, claiming it “was at [Trent’s] mom’s home charging almost 90% of the time,” adding:
“I think there needs to be stricter monitoring on the ankle monitors.”
Her supporters agree. Andy added that this sad situation points to a larger problem, explaining:
“The bigger question CrimeStoppers has is, how many other Trent Paschals are out there? How many other bond fugitives — people who have been on bond … and are wanted and remain out there?”
It sounds like in their county alone, the past year has shown a shocking amount of “shootouts” between cops and felons, he shared:
“There have been six shootouts involving law enforcement officers and wanted felon bond forfeiture defendants. That’s just in Harris County.”
Kahan concluded:
“It’s disturbing to us that we do not know how many Trent Paschals are out there.”
That is so disturbing to think about. Whoa… Our hearts go out to Savannah’s loved ones amid this disappointing end to the case.
[Image via La Marque Police Department]
The post Texas Fugitive Who Allegedly Murdered His Wife & Apologized On YouTube Found Dead By Suicide As Police Close In appeared first on Perez Hilton.
