Waco, TX: DA seeks death penalty for man charged with killing estranged wife

The McLennan County District Attorney’s Office will seek the death penalty against a Port Arthur man charged in the shooting death of his estranged wife and the kidnapping of her daughter less than five months after his release from prison.

Carnell Petetan Jr., 36, is charged with capital murder in the Sept. 23 shooting death of Kimberly Farr Petetan at her Waco apartment at 2509 E. Lake Shore Drive.

Carnell Petetan Jr., 36, is charged with capital murder in the Sept. 23 shooting death of Kimberly Farr Petetan.

District Attorney Abel Reyna told Judge Ralph Strother at Petetan’s formal arraignment Friday morning that his office will seek the death penalty. Reyna declined to specify what factors were considered in making the decision.

“We feel confident that that evidence will come out at trial,” he said.

Police found Kimberly Petetan dead inside her apartment at The Landing complex. She suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

The indictment against Petetan alleges he committed murder during the course of a burglary of a habitation and while kidnapping the victim’s 9-year-old daughter.

Witnesses told police Kimberly Petetan was seen earlier that day arguing with her husband.

Bryan police arrested Petetan after spotting his car later that night. The victim’s daughter, who is not Petetan’s biological daughter, was with him in the car, police said.

A neighbor of Kimberly Petetan’s said she moved into The Landing complex in late August.

Carnell Petetan stayed there with her and her daughter for the first two weeks and the couple fought constantly, the neighbor said.

He left, but on the day Kimberly Petetan was killed, the neighbor heard fighting again and a bullet came through her wall, she said.

Kimberly Petetan attended McLennan Community College and wanted to be a social worker, her friends said.

Petetan was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 1993 for attempted murder. He was released in April.

Reyna’s announcement in Petetan’s case comes three weeks after a Waco jury returned a death sentence against Rickey Donnell Cummings in the shooting deaths of two men at the Lakewood Villas apartment complex in March 2011.