Elderly Austin, TX Couple Billie and Sidney Shelton Found Murdered in Their Home

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/27646487/police-are-ruling-death-of-elderly-brentwood-couple-homicide
Police are ruling death of elderly Brentwood couple homicide
December 16, 2014



Police are now calling the death of an elderly couple in Austin a homicide and that has the people who live in the Brentwood neighborhood understandably concerned.

Residents are being warned to stay cautious, since no arrests have been made and a suspect has not been identified.
 
It was Monday morning when a caretaker reportedly walked up to her clients' home on the 17-hundred block of Brentwood and found the door wide open.

When police arrived, they say they found Sidney and Billie Shelton dead inside with apparent trauma.

Tuesday the autopsies were performed by the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office. The results show the death of both victims to be a homicide.

Neighborhood residents stop by to bring flowers and pay her respects.

We're told the elderly couple were well-liked and had lived in this neighborhood for a long time.
 
APD wants to remind the public that there is a public safety concern related to these murders.

Here are some tips they have provided:

Be aware of your surroundings
Carry cell phone at all times
Lock your doors, windows
Set your home alarm
Stay in contact with neighbors
If you see something suspicious call 911

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2014/12/16/brentwood-deaths-now-being-investigated-as-homicides/20499535/
Elderly couple's deaths ruled homicides
December 17, 2014

AUSTIN -- Police have ruled the deaths of an elderly couple in their Central Austin home on Monday as homicides.

Police initially said Sidney and Billie Sheltons' bodies had no visible signs of trauma, but in a Tuesday press release, police said the couple, found dead in their Brentwood home on Monday, were dead of "apparent trauma."

Officers were called to a home along the 1700 block of Brentwood Street shortly before 11 a.m. Monday for a possible burglary. When they arrived, police located the bodies of 85-year-old Sidney Shelton and 83-year-old Billie Shelton in the home. The couple's nurse had arrived at the home, noticed the door was open and found them dead inside.

The Sheltons' home is now surrounded by caution tape. A wheelchair ramp leads to the door that is now boarded up and labeled a crime scene.
 
KVUE reached out to the woman who discovered the couple in the home, and she responded with a written statement and asked her name not be used.

"I am a home health nurse, not the couples's caretaker. I arrived at about 1045 to the home for a skilled nurse visit. I found the door open and went inside. Patients often leave doors open for us when they expect a home health visit. House was quiet when I entered. I found the deceased and then ran outside and called 911. APD was there in a minute or less. They did an excellent job securing the scene and making sure I was taken care of. A very detailed statement has been given to law enforcement. I don't want to say anything that may jeopardize the investigation or my job as a medical professional."

[MuffyBee]

http://kxan.com/2014/12/19/through-fears-brentwood-plans-vigil-for-elderly-couple/
Through fears, Brentwood plans vigil for elderly couple
December 19. 2014



AUSTIN (KXAN) — Despite an uneasy feeling in the neighborhood, people living in Brentwood plan on honoring an elderly couple found dead in their homes on Monday. Billie and Sidney Shelton’s deaths have been ruled homicides and remain under police investigation, but their neighbors will remember them at a vigil on Sunday night.

“We really honor and embrace our elderly neighbors,” said neighbor Michele Holt. “Many of our neighbors were the original inhabitants of this neighborhood, including the Sheltons.”

Holt said the vigil is planned for 5:30 p.m. at the Brentwood Park pavilion and the neighborhood’s annual lighting of luminaries along Arroyo Seco will be dedicated to the couple.

Lesley Woods live next door to the Shelton home and said she already misses the warm feeling she got from her neighbor.

“There is a very strong sense of community,” Woods said. “You would just wave and visit whenever you could.”

While they honor the family, they also said there is a noticeable tension. The mystery surrounding their deaths has left many neighbors worried.

“We are all on edge and everyone is nervous,” said Holt.

Police continue to investigate the circumstances involving the death, but many details have not been released. Not knowing what may have happened has caused only more anxiety in the neighborhood, Holt said.

“(Austin Police) have been very close-lipped about it. I am sure that is due to the investigation. We would love to have some answers of some kind to let us know and calm some fears.”
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kvue.com/story/news/local/2014/12/21/friends-light-neighborhood-in-honor-of-murdered-couple/20745191/
Friends light neighborhood in honor of murdered couple
December 22, 2014

AUSTIN -- Geared up with flashlights and lighters, a woman and young boy relight luminarias extinguished by the wind. These lights glow in the Brentwood neighborhood in honor of 83-year-old Billie Shelton and 85-year-old Sidney Shelton.

"They're a fixture in the neighborhood," said neighbor Michelle Holt. "They are a lovely couple."


The couple was murdered in their home on Dec. 15. Police initially said robbery might be a motive. They say they don't have any suspects right now and are asking for the help of the public.
 
We decided, as a neighborhood, to dedicate the annual lighting of the luminarias to the Sheltons and their family to let them know how much we are grieving for them and how much compassion we are feeling for them," Holt said.

Each year for the past 20 years, people in Brentwood light up their streets with luminarias, in plastic milk jugs, every night from the Winter Solstice through Christmas.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/27689244/murdered-couple-remembered-by-community
Murdered Brentwood couple remembered by community
Posted: Dec 22, 2014 4:01 PM CST
Updated: Dec 22, 2014 5:31 PM CST



The Brentwood community said goodbye today to two of its most cherished residents. A private service was held for Sidney and Billie Shelton who were murdered in their home last week.

The Sheltons had been married for nearly 65 years before their tragic deaths a week ago. The service was held for them at the church where they worshipped for decades.

There is a growing memorial at the house where the Sheltons used to live. A sea of red poinsettias and candles dot the front yard and what should be a marker of Christmas cheer is instead a tribute to loved ones lost.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/27909097/brentwood-neighborhood-on-edge-following-december-murder-of-elderly-couple
Brentwood neighborhood on edge following December murder of elderly couple
January 21, 2015



Austin police continue to hunt for the person who killed an elderly couple in mid-December.

Their bodies were found inside their Brentwood home.

Austin police are being tight lipped about the investigation leaving Billie and Sidney Shelton's neighbors living in fear.
 

In mid-December, a nurse discovered Billie and Sidney Shelton's bodies in their home. Neighbors say since then, there's been a strong police presence but no arrests.

“I went the commanders meeting and he said all he could say was that something positive had happened in the case and that was about two weeks ago and since then I haven't heard anything,” Taylor said.

In a statement, the Austin Police Department says, “As in all open homicide cases, is still a top priority for the homicide unit. Detectives continue making positive progress on identifying the individual or individuals responsible for the murders of Billie and Sidney Shelton.”
 


The neighborhood is working with the parks department to honor the Sheltons with a memorial bench at Brentwood Park. It costs $2,400. So far they've raised a third of the amount. If you want to help, you can contact Marie.  Wabisabiholt@gmail.com

[MuffyBee]

http://kxan.com/2015/01/23/arrest-made-in-homicide-of-elderly-austin-couple/
Police link suspects to elderly couple’s death
Published January 23, 2015, Updated January 24, 2015

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The men already behind bars in connection with the death of an Austin music teacher are “actively involved” with the death of an elderly couple in their home on Brentwood Street last December, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said Friday.
 
Billie, 83, and Sidney Shelton, 85, were found dead Dec. 15 inside their home in the 1700 block of Brentwood Street, across the street from Brentwood Elementary School just days after Kathy Blair was found dead in her home.

Police say Shawn Gant-Benalcazar entered Blair’s home on Tamarack Trail with the intent to burglarize it. Blair was asleep at the time. According to court documents, Gant-Benalcazar told police he stabbed Blair in the neck when she woke up and “lunged” at him. Police also arrested Timothy Parlin in connection to the burglary leading up to Blair’s death.

Friday, Chief Acevedo said Shawn Gant-Benalcazar, who is charged with capital murder in the death of Kathy Blair, and Timothy Parlin who is also jailed in connection with the burglary at Blair’s home, are tied to the burglary and subsequent deaths of the Sheltons.

“We are very confident that the suspects you see before you are absolutely responsible for all three homicides…we already have charges on one and now we are putting together the case for the next two,” Acevedo said.

Police responded to what was initially a burglary call at the Sheltons home but found the bodies of the couple inside when they arrived. Authorities have not released how the victims died, but their deaths were classified as homicides.

“We are saddened by the unexpected, devastating loss of our loved ones,” the Shelton family said in statement to KXAN News in December. “They were kind, open-hearted, loving Christians who enjoyed visiting with family and friends, supporting them in times of need and in joyous occasions.”
 
The two suspects are also linked to home burglary in South Austin, according to court records. During an interview with police on Jan. 16, Parlin said he served as a lookout while Gant-Benalcazar broke into a home on Fentonridge Drive, an arrest affidavit said. Police detectives later drove Parlin to South Austin and he reportedly led them to the home that was burglarized.

Police urge anyone with information, especially those who may have purchased or received jewelry from Parlin or Gant-Benalcazar, to call the APD homicide tipline at 512-477-3588 or Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS.
 

Video and time line at link.