Credit: 11 News
by Lisa Chavarria / 11 News & Nakia Cooper / khou.com
Posted on June 9, 2010 at 2:00 PM
HOUSTON – A Houston pastor accused in the shooting death of his wife and a woman accused of helping cover it up both went before a judge Wednesday morning in separate probable cause hearings.
Pastor Tracy Bernard Burleson and his son, William Fuller, have been charged with the murder of Burleson’s wife, Pauletta. The other woman, Tyonne Palmer, is accused of tampering with evidence.
Pastor Burleson said he found his wife shot to death in the driveway of their northeast Harris County home on May 18.
Burleson told Harris County investigators he had an argument with his wife earlier that night. He said he left to go buy some potato chips and a candy bar from a local store and returned home to find his wife lying dead in the driveway.
Investigators said they found holes in that story. Investigators said the pastor did not have any chips or candy bars in his possession when he returned, and the store he claimed to have bought them from closed at 10 p.m. that night.
Investigators named him a person of interest the next day.
According to documents read in court Wednesday, a neighbor told investigators he heard arguing in the pastor’s driveway between 10 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., and another neighbor reported hearing gunshots around that same time.
Another witness told investigators that Fuller admitted to killing his stepmother, and that his father paid him to do it.
Police questioned Fuller on Tuesday. During their interrogation, police said Fuller admitted to shooting and killing his stepmother in a murder-for-hire plot by his father.
The judge found probable cause to keep Burleson in custody without bond. The pastor’s next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, Palmer—who was allegedly romantically involved with both the pastor and his son—also went before a judge Wednesday morning, where she was charged with tampering of evidence.
Investigators said Palmer assisted the gunman after he called and told her the pastor’s wife had been shot.
According to police reports, Palmer picked up the gunman, drove him to get cleaned up and assisted in burning the gun used to kill the pastor’s wife.
The judge set Palmer’s bond at $50,000.
Pauletta Burleson’s death came just a week after Pastor Burleson’s historic church burned to the ground.
Firefighters arrived at the First New Mount Calvary Baptist Church on Gregg at Noble around 2:35 a.m. on May 12 to find the entire building engulfed in flames.
The church, which was first organized in 1917 and rebuilt in 1965, was a total loss.
Arson investigators were called to the scene, but officials have yet to say what caused the blaze.
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