A Texas mother who defended her daughter from her abusive boyfriend was arrested after she opened fire and shot the man dead after he yelled “shoot me.”
Patricia Conlon, 49, was taken into custody on Monday and charged with the murder of 34-year-old Justin Troutte, police said. The mugshot reveals a visibly distraught Colon.
The harrowing incident happened around 1:50 p.m. Sunday when Dallas police were called to a home on the 4800 block of Ash Lane in Old East Dallas due to a domestic dispute. When officers and emergency responders arrived, they found Troutte with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead on the spot.
Conlon told police she only shot Troutte after he allegedly grabbed her arm and pulled her hair, but the police evidence did not match Conlon’s story.
The police argued that the justification of self-defense did not hold because she tried to hold him at gunpoint. They claimed there was “a lack of reasonableness in her actions involving the use of deadly force,” the affidavit said.
Pictured: Patricia Conlon, 49, who was taken into custody on Monday and charged with murdering her daughter’s boyfriend
Pictured: Josh Troutte, 34, died of a gunshot wound on Sunday afternoon. He was pronounced dead on the spot
Pictured: Conlon’s daughter, Jenny Marie Archer, who claimed she was in an abusive relationship with Troutte that had been going on since late 2021
Conlon’s daughter, Jennifer Conlon, had told police that she had been in an abusive relationship with Troutte since December 2021, according to the arrest report.
A day before the shooting, she said Troutte hit her over the eye with a mobile phone, but said she had not reported the alleged assault to police.
According to the affidavit, on the day of the shooting, the daughter reportedly told her mother that she had broken off with Troutte because of the ongoing abuse, and asked her mother to help her move out of the house the couple shared. The couple also had a roommate who also lived in the residence.
Conlon had called the police before she arrived to help her daughter, but entered the house before the officers arrived. Law and crime reported.
Conlon’s daughter and Troutte’s roommate told police they saw Conlon arrive at the residence through a side door and hold a gun in her hand. The Dallas Morning News reported.
The roommate told police they could hear Conlon and Troutte yelling at each other. At one point, Conlon confronted Troutte, who was in the bathroom.
During the heated argument, Troutte yelled, “Just shoot me,” before witnesses heard multiple gunshots, the police report said.
When Conlon spoke to police, she reportedly told them her gun was in her purse, but later admitted she was holding a gun when she got to the house.
She further stated that she intended to keep Troutte in the bathroom until police arrived. Part of her statement she told police was that Troutte had run away from previous incidents of domestic violence before police arrived.
Conlon reportedly told police she only fired after Troutte grabbed her and she claimed “she was in fear for her life,” but the affidavit stated that Conlon “provoked” Troutte and was falsely unable to claim self defense.
Pictured: Mother and daughter laughing together in this undated photo
Troutte’s mother, Sue, sent a heartfelt post saying she will ‘always love him and his sweet spirit’
Conlon’s daughter posted about the ordeal on her Facebook, while friends sent her a virtual hug and told her they loved her
According to reports, Troutte had a criminal record dating back to 2018 when he pleaded guilty to assault and domestic violence.
Jenny Colon wrote and posted on Facebook about the ordeal on Friday, as friends sent her a virtual hug and told her they loved her.
She wrote in part, “That is never what I wanted or could even imagine the outcome to be. I loved someone unconditionally, despite unimaginably bad consequences, and I am desperately trying to find a way to process these events.”
Troutte’s mother Sue Troutte posted a photo of her son to her Facebook and said she “always loved” him.
‘He came to us earlier than expected, but was taken away way too early. He managed to live life to the fullest. We will always love him and his sweet spirit,” she wrote. Thank you for all of you angels who have been with us on this journey.”
After Troutte’s death, many of his friends rallied, including his best friend Cooper London, who claimed that his friend was a victim in the relationship.
On Monday, he wrote a seething post. ‘Do you see these two? They are the reason Josh Troutte is DEAD,” London wrote in part. “Jenny Marie Archer -> Mother Patricia Conlon you’re the reason he’s dead.”
He added, “Her mom SHOT MY BEST FRIEND OR JENNY YOU DID AND LET YOUR MOM TAKE THE TRAP.
“SHE IS GUILTY TOO!!!!! I’ve seen the abuse, I’ve seen it. EVERYONE WHO KNEW JOSH SHOULD call the Dallas Police Department and report her to HOMICIDE!!!!! The number of times she wanted him dead is countless.’
In the post, he called on people to contact the police.
“You Jenny deserve to be next to your mother. Everyone is her tip line number. May the call today. Help our brother get justice and lock up everyone involved.”
Conlon’s daughter, Jenny Marie Archer, has not been charged with any crime.