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‘No One Messes With My Kids': Texas Mom Allegedly Suggests She Killed Husband To Protect Kids

After allegedly shooting her husband Joe Abril multiple times, Stephanie Diane Tuell waited on the lawn for police to arrive only to tell them, "I wish I was sorry, but I'm not."

By Gina Tron
Handcuffs G

A Texas woman accused of murdering her husband seemingly suggested that she killed him to protect her children.

“No one messes with my kids,” Stephanie Diane Tuell, 37, allegedly said as she was being arrested, according to an affidavit obtained by KMID.

Investigators responded to a call about a gunshot victim on Saturday evening at a residence, the Odessa Police Department stated in a press release.

Inside the home, they found 58-year-old Joe Abril suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. According to an affidavit obtained by KVID, police said he was found on the bathroom floor and had been shot in both the chest and in the back of the head.

He was taken to a nearby hospital where he “succumbed to injuries sustained.”

Tuell, who apparently was the one who called 911, was waiting in the front yard for first responders to arrive, according to the police. 

“I wish I was sorry, but I’m not,” she allegedly said, according to KVID. She had allegedly also told the 911 dispatcher that she shot him after she found him doing something — though what that something was is unclear, as it was redacted from the report, the station reported.

She allegedly made the “no one messes with my kids” comment as she was being read her Miranda rights. It’s not clear how old the children are.

She was allegedly unapologetic during her arrest, according to the Odessa American. She also asked for a lawyer.

Tuell has been booked on a murder charge. Her bond has been set at $100,000. It’s not clear if she has obtained the lawyer.