HOUSTON—An 18-year-old man was in the Harris County Jail Thursday, charged with capital murder in the shooting death of a 79-year-old woman.
Police say Frank Anthony Benitez shot and killed Muriel Kirkpatrick as she unloaded groceries from her car at the Landmark Apartments in west Harris County around 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
Investigators said Kirkpatrick was shot once in the neck.
Neighbors told investigators they heard a gunshot, so they ran out into the parking lot. They found Kirkpatrick lying there, mortally wounded.
"I think it’s a shame that it happened here in a very quiet apartment complex," said neighbor Jan Marie Erickson. "I mean something like this has never really happened here."
A nurse who lived nearby was among those who rushed out help.
"If the guy wanted to do something, he didn’t have to kill the lady," the nurse, who didn’t want to be identified, said.
Kirkpatrick was transported to Katy Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Neighbors said the victim was a sweet woman, and they often saw her walking around with her cat.
"You just gotta watch your back wherever you go now," neighbor Mike Erickson said. "It’s a shame. God bless her."
Investigators said it wasn’t clear if any of Kirkpatrick’s property was taken.
