Violet and Phillip Walter pictured on Facebook.
A married couple in Texas has been accused of killing an off-duty cop in the town of Abilene. The pair, Violet, 30, and Phillip Walter, 29, were arrested in Abilene, Texas, on the night of September 3. Their arrest comes four days after Abilene Police Officer Don Allen was found dead in the town of Clyde. He was off duty at the time. After his discovery, authorities were quick to announce that they believed Allen had been the victim of a homicide.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Cops Connecting the Walters to the Crime Due to Items Stolen from Officer Allen’s Home
The Walters were linked to the murder due to stolen property taken from officer Allen’s home in Clyde, Texas, reports KTXS. The couple are both charged with first degree murder with their bails both set at $500,000. It’s up to the Texas State Police to decide if capital murder charges will be sought in the case. Abilene Chief Stan Stanbridge “We are confident we have taken the right people into custody. We do not believe there are any other suspects. Although we have made two arrests, there is still a lot of work to do. We are still early in this post-arrest investigation.”
2. Violet Walter Says ‘You Have to Be an Ass to Hate Me’
Violet Maree Walter. (Facebook)
According to her Facebook page, Violet Walter says she has three kids with her husband whom she refers to as “beautiful monsters.” She adds “I’m always smiling, usually laughing and probably talking sh*t, but I’m so dang funny you’d have to be an ass to hate me.” Phillip and Violet Walter were married on July 8, 2006. She’s a native of Abilene.
3. Phillip Walter Is a Devout Christian
Phillip Walter is a native of Panama City, Florida. On his Facebook page, Walter studied criminal justice at Abilene Christian University. In November 2014, he posted the above meme to his page.
He litters his page with jokes and biblical quotes, occasionally peppering some social commentary:
4. Officer Don Allen Was Due to Marry His Fiancee in July 2016
Officer Don Allen pictured with his fiancee Sarha Waters. (Facebook)
Officer Allen had worked as a cop in Texas since 2012. Prior to joining the Abilene force, he was an officer in Cisco, Texas. He had been planning to marry his fiancee, Sarha Waters on July 18, 2016. According to his obituary, Allen was laid to rest on the morning of September 4. KTXS reports that all of the money that needed to be raised for his funeral has been raised.
Abilene City Manager Robert Hanna paid tribute to Allen to CNN saying “Officer Allen was a true public servant. In speaking with his academy classmates, I found myself hoping for more officers like him.” In his obit, it’s mentioned that:
He loved to be in God’s country hunting, fishing, and shooting guns. He was a great marksman and enjoyed all of God’s creations. He loved his family and friends with all of his heart.
He loved playing with his beautiful niece, and everyone could see the aspiring father he wanted to become someday. He was his mother’s baby boy and was taken too soon from us all.
5. Allen Is One 3 Cops to Be Killed in the U.S. This Week
Shockingly, Allen is one of three cops killed in the U.S. in one week. On August 29, Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Darren Goforth was killed while pumping gas in Texas. Meanwhile in Illinois, Lt. Charles Gliniewicz from Fox Lake was shot-and-killed while on parole. In response, a former Texas prison guard, Nathan Ener, has produced a racist, gun-toting, video where he called for law enforcement to rise up against Black Lives Matter activists. Ener says in the video “thug’s lives don’t matter.”