Stanley Earl Hardin faces two counts of capital murder after driving his truck into a house in Conroe, Texas, and shooting his estranged wife and her mother, authorities said. The incident occurred Monday afternoon on Shoreview Drive. Hardin later surrendered to police.
On Monday afternoon around 2 p.m., a 911 call reported that Stanley Earl Hardin, 57, had crashed his black GMC Sierra pickup truck into a house on Shoreview Drive in Conroe, a city about 40 miles north of Houston, according to Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle. The caller was Hardin's estranged wife, Tara Hardin, 50, who said her husband was entering the home. Hardin then fired multiple rounds inside, killing Tara Hardin and her mother, Floris Wolford, 80. Both women were pronounced dead at the scene, with the truck lodged into the front of the house, damaging siding, insulation, and a window, as shown in aftermath footage obtained by local media outlet KTRK-TV in Houston. The sheriff's office noted the couple had recently separated, with Tara staying at her mother's home. Neighbors reported seeing Tara at Hardin's house as recently as last week and said the couple, who have adult children, had lived together for years without public signs of problems. After the shooting, Hardin fled on foot to his son's house and requested a ride to his own residence about 5 miles away. He surrendered without incident at a home on Ivy Lane, though SWAT teams were present due to concerns he might resist. Sheriff Doolittle said during a press conference, covered by KTRK and the Houston Chronicle: 'They had set up a perimeter anticipating that it might be worse than what they had believed. There was information that he would shoot it out with law enforcement. It's my belief that he talked to a family member and that he surrendered to our deputies at that scene.' Hardin, identified as a military veteran, is held without bond in Montgomery County Jail on two counts of capital murder. The investigation continues. The sheriff's office stated on Facebook: 'The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office extends our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the victims. We recognize the profound impact this tragedy has had on our community and are committed to seeking justice for these women and their loved ones.' Doolittle advised: 'When there is high emotion, people are ending relationships and such, I would tell folks to contact the Montgomery County women's shelter if they believe they are in danger.'