What happened to Sharon Radebaugh? 83-year-old man charged as Texas woman found fatally shot at home

Texas authorities have reported that a 78-year-old woman, Sharon Radebaugh, was tragically murdered in her own residence over the weekend by an 83-year-old man, Elliott Wilson, who had a previous relationship with her. The incident occurred on Saturday, June 3, in Rowlett, Texas.

The following day, on June 4, with the assistance of the Trinity County Sheriff's Department and Texas Rangers, the Rowlett Police Department's criminal investigations unit successfully apprehended Wilson. During his time in custody, Wilson allegedly confessed to shooting Radebaugh.

The murder case is expected to be filed in Dallas County. In the meantime, Elliott Wilson was arraigned in Trinity County and is being held on a $1,000,000 bond as of Sunday, June 4.

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Texas authorities say Radebaugh's death was not a random act of violence

Police officers responded to a call reporting an unconscious person at approximately 6:50 pm at a residence on Seafield Lane in Rowlett, Texas. Upon arrival, they discovered that the victim, 78-year-old Sharon Radebaugh, had sustained gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Rowlett Police Department's press release stated that investigators identified 83-year-old Elliott Wilson, a resident of Trinity, Texas, as the suspect of the crime. Authorities also determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence but came after an altercation related to Radebaugh's new relationship.

Seafield Lane in Rowlett, Texas where the murder took place (Image via Google Maps)

Following an investigation and with the assistance of the Trinity County Sheriff's Department and the Texas Rangers, the Rowlett Police Criminal Investigations Division apprehended Elliott Wilson at approximately 5:30 pm on Sunday. Notably, Trinity is located around a three-hour drive away from Rowlett, which is situated within both Dallas County and Rockwell County.

According to information available on Sharon Radebaugh's Facebook profile, she was a retired nurse who had studied at Marshall University in West Virginia.

Rowlett Mayor Blake Margolis expressed his deep sadness over the loss of his friend Sharon Radebaugh, describing her as a kind, outgoing, and intelligent woman who was actively involved in the community. He expressed his condolences to her family and commended the swift action of the Rowlett Police Department in capturing and arresting the suspect.

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Percentage of females murdered by an intimate partner 5 times higher than males

According to data reported by law enforcement agencies, statistics reveal a significant disparity in the percentage of females murdered by an intimate partner compared to males. In 2021, an estimated 4,970 female victims lost their lives to murder and non-negligent manslaughter. Out of these cases, a staggering 34% were killed by an intimate partner. In contrast, only about 6% of the 17,970 male murder victims that year fell victim to intimate partner homicide.

The data further highlights that a substantial majority of both female and male murder victims knew their assailants. Approximately 76% of female murder victims and 56% of male murder victims were killed by someone familiar to them.

Of particular concern is the fact that 16% of female murder victims were killed by a nonintimate family member. This figure is comparatively lower at 10% for male murder victims.

Percentage of female victims are more than men in domestic violence cases (Representative Image)

Interestingly, a higher percentage of male murder victims, around 21%, were killed by strangers, while the corresponding figure for female victims stood at 12%. Alarmingly, in one out of every three male murder cases and one out of every five female murder cases, the relationship between the victim and the offender remains unknown.