Texas Woman Charged with Murder After Boss Shot
A woman from Texas has been charged with murder following an incident where she allegedly shot her boss.
Patricia Holt, 57, is accused of shooting Carl Donaldson, 47, in the head on July 24. Holt had been working as a tractor-trailer driver at Sun Transportation Systems for just over a month, where Donaldson served as the safety manager.
This is not Holt’s first run-in with the law. In 1986, she was convicted for attempted assault after bringing a loaded shotgun to her high school following threats against a teacher.
According to an arrest affidavit, Donaldson’s wife called 911 at around 5:35 p.m., stating her husband had been shot but was still alive. When deputies arrived at the scene at 5:46 p.m., they noticed Holt leaving in a white tractor-trailer.
Efforts to stop her were unsuccessful initially, but deputies later used spike strips that disabled the truck’s tires. Holt continued driving for about 1,000 feet before coming to a halt.
At that point, she reportedly refused to exit the vehicle and expressed a desire to harm herself. A hostage negotiator was able to persuade her to surrender around 7:08 p.m., following the tragic confirmation of Donaldson’s death at 6:06 p.m.
Holt’s past includes a serious incident during her school years, where she returned to her high school with a shotgun after being sent home for being disruptive. Fortunately, staff members were able to tackle her before anyone was hurt. She received five years of probation for that act.
Currently, Holt is being held in jail with a bail set at $1,000,000. She has not yet made a plea and does not have a lawyer.
