4 members of SAME Texas family arrested for Nathan and Krystal Maddox murder
Four members of the SAME family arrested over double murder of father and girlfriend in midst of bitter custody dispute over his five-year-old daughter
- Paul and Letha Westfall along with their adult children, Kristen and Cameron Westfall were all taken into custody
- Bonds have been set at $1 million for each of the four people arrested
- They've been arrested connection to the murders of Nathan and his wife Krystal Maddox
- Nathan is the ex-husband of Kristen Westfall
- The couple had a five-year-old daughter together before their marriage fell apart
- Bitter custody battle led to disagreements in the family
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An East Texas woman, her brother and her parents are charged with carrying out a scheme to kill the woman's ex-husband and new wife as both sides were embroiled in a custody dispute over a 5-year-old girl, authorities said Wednesday.
Sheriff's deputies in Tyler County arrested four people Tuesday night in the parking lot of the church where Nathan and Krystal Maddox were gunned down in January after visiting the girl.
Nathan Maddox's ex-wife Kristen Westfall; her brother, Cameron; and her parents, Letha and Paul Westfall, all were indicted on charges of engaging in organized criminal activity.
Keeping it in the family: Letha Westfall and her husband Paul Westfall are the parents of Nathan's ex-wife, and Madison's mother, Kristen Westfall
Brother and sister: Kristen and Cameron Westfall were among the four members of their family taken into custody and were transported to the Tyler County jail. Their bond has been set at $1 million a piece
In custody: Kristen Westfall is led into the Tyler County Jail. Three of her relatives of have been accused of killing Nathan Bradley Maddox and his new wife Krystal as he sought custody of his 5-year-old daughter
Letha Westfall had custody of the girl, but the Westfall family was fighting Nathan Maddox in court.
Phil Ryan, the chief deputy in Tyler County, said that the custody battle was the likely motive.
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Share'They were worried that Nathan was doing better in his life and might get custody of the little girl,' Ryan said.
Authorities have not charged any of the four with murder, as investigators are still trying to determine who shot the couple, Ryan said.
Shot and killed: Nathan and Krystal Maddox were killed on January 18. The couple was shot following a supervised visitation with Nathan Maddox's five-year-old daughter at Mount Carmel Baptist Church
Disbelief: Rhonda Humphus, the mother of murder victim Krystal Maddox, gets a hug from her murdered son-in-law's best friend. A grand jury iindicted Maddox's ex-wife Kristen Westfall, her parents Letha and Paul Westfall, and her brother, Cameron Westfall
The couple died in the attack Jan. 18 outside Mount Carmel Baptist Church near Colmesneil, about 110 miles northeast of Houston. Their daughter was inside the church with Letha Westfall, who had brought her for a supervised visit with her father, said Shari Pulliam, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
After the shootings, state authorities placed the girl in a foster home in an undisclosed location, Pulliam said. The girl did not see the shooting, but is aware of the deaths of her father and stepmother, she said.
'We did not know who the shooter was,' Pulliam said. 'We were fearful for her life.'
Forever remembered: The family of Nathan and Krystal said that the emotions of the last week have beelike a rollercoaster, but faith and family kept them holding out hope
Write caption here
Nathan Maddox (right) was in the middle of a custody battle. According to him, he was close to winning. His ex-wife Kristin, had handed custody over to her parents due to previous arrests for controlled substances but his new wife Krystal (left) was shot dead
The court battle for custody has continued after the couple's deaths, with three days of hearings so far.
State authorities want the girl placed in foster care and said they found drug paraphernalia in Letha Westfall's home, as well as a gun on a nightstand within easy reach of the girl, Pulliam said.
Nathan Maddox's father, Jim, has since petitioned to become his granddaughter's primary caregiver. Jim Maddox's attorney, Ryan Deaton of Lufkin, said Wednesday it had been a struggle to get Nathan Maddox time to visit his daughter.
'No one even knew where he was getting his visits or how those visits were going to go or anything,' Deaton said. 'The only people who did know were the Westfalls and my clients. It would have been impossible for anyone else to do this.'
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