A Plano, Texas, woman has been charged with murder for fatally shooting her ex-husband, according to an arrest affidavit.
Merridith Nunley, 38, is charged over the killing of her ex-husband, 55-year-old David Nunley.
Nunleys were Divorced but Still Living Together
Plano police received a 911 call on Friday night from David Nunley saying, "I've been shot." Officers arrived at the home on Monticello Circle to find David in the garage shot in the chest with a cell phone nearby but no weapons, according to the affidavit.
While police searched the home, a family friend called 911 and told police she had received a call from Merridith, who said she had shot David. The friend told police the Nunleys were divorced but were "still kind of living together."
Meredith Told Friend She Shot David Because She Found Him on the Phone with Another Woman
Merridith allegedly told the friend she had shot David because she had found him on the phone with another woman, according to the documents.Police were able to ping Merridith's phone and found her parked in an apartment parking lot on West Park Boulevard.
"They used the drone to initially look at the vehicle and see who was in there and then made phone calls. That way, they could talk with her," explained Plano Police Officer Jennifer Chapman.
Meredith Told Cops She Killed David in Self-Defense
Officers approached the vehicle and asked what had happened that night." David lost his temper, and he got physical with me, and I defended myself," she replied, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit said Merridith told officers she was "just in a trance" when she shot her ex-husband and asked police if he was okay. She eventually surrendered to police.
The report states the gun Merridith used to kill David was on the passenger seat. After her arrest, Merridith told police she shot David after finding out he was talking to an "illegal woman," according to the affidavit.
David Filed Protective Order Against Meredith 2 Years Ago, Told Friend He Feared She Would Kill Him Hours Before His Death
Court records show David filed for divorce, and it was finalized in 2022. Both parties had joint custody of their three kids at the time of divorce. Police also noted that the home had a history of calls for service involving disturbances and child abuse. Police say the children were not home at the time of the shooting.
David filed for a protective order against her nearly two years to the day before he was killed, documents obtained by WFAA showed.
In the request for the 2022 protective order, David Nunley wrote "I am extremely concerned for my safety as well as my children's safety." He detailed Merridith Nunley's past mental health issues and said she had previously pointed a gun at him, bit him, hit him and damaged his car.
A text message included in the April 2022 filing, purportedly from Merridith Nunley to David Nunley, said "I see two ways, 1. I put a .45 through my temple, 2. I go on a homicidal rampage [...] leaving all the kids orphans [sic]."
A longtime colleague and friend of David Nunley told WFAA he spoke with him hours before the shooting and he expressed concern about his safety.
"He said 'she was trying to kill me,'" the friend said.
He said he told David Nunley "get away."
Merridith is currently being held at the Collin County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
