Deputies: Slayings started when Taylor grad’s mom tried to give him sleeping pill
HUNTER DWORACZYK [email protected]
Upset that his mother was trying to give him a sleeping pill, Seth Bryan Carnes killed the former Taylor ISD teacher with a shotgun blast and then fatally shot his father, a retired state district judge, because the son “figured I would just finish the job,” according to court records.
Seth Carnes, 45, is charged with capital murder in the deaths of Alfred “Burt” Carnes, 74, and Susan Carnes, a 74-year-old former teacher at T.H. Johnson Elementary School in the Taylor Independent School District.
Carnes, a 1996 graduate of Taylor High School, remains in the Williamson County Jail in Georgetown with no bond set, according to officials.
If convicted, he could face either life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
Those who knew the couple, who were married 51 years, are reeling from the tragedy. “They were very, very caring people,” said Pat Alderete, who worked at T.
“
All of it is just shocking. I just cannot process it.”
-Pat Alderete, family friend H. Johnson with Susan Carnes.
According to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began to unfold shortly before 11:45 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8, at a residence in the 300 block of CR 317 near Georgetown.
An affidavit filed with an arrest warrant in 26th state District Judge Donna King’s court by sheriff’s Detective Peter Parks noted the defendant’s 19-year-old daughter called 911 and said her father shot her grandparents.
When deputies arrived, Seth Carnes walked out of the residence with one hand in the air and the other hand holding a coffee mug, according to court records.
As he was being detained, Carnes told deputies he killed his mother and father, according to the affidavit.
Law officers found the body of Burt Carnes in the living room and a black 12-gauge shotgun with shell casings located in the kitchen near the living room, the affidavit said.
Susan Carnes was found in an upstairs bedroom of a converted garage attached to the main residence, the affidavit said. Investigators believe Seth Carnes lived in the room where his mother was found.
Parks later met with the accused in an interview room at the Sheriff’s Office and read him his Miranda Rights, whereupon Carnes said he understood those rights and agreed to speak, the affidavit said.
According to Parks, Carnes said he didn’t really remember what happened, but “knew that he shot his mother and father.”
The affidavit added that Carnes said he used a Remington 870 shotgun that was previously located next to his nightstand.
“Seth Carnes advised that he believed that his mother was trying to put a sleeping pill in his mouth, and he did not want to take it,” Parks wrote. “I asked Seth if there was any other reason as to why he shot his mother other than the sleeping pill, and he stated, ‘That’s it.’” When Parks inquired about why the father was targeted, the accused said, “I’ve just been looking for something and figured I would finish the job,” according to the affidavit.
The Carnes
Both Burt and Susan Carnes took their jobs seriously, commanding respect by sticking to the rules, friends and coworkers said.
Burt Carnes served in the Marine Corps Reserve and practiced law for over 40 years in Austin, Taylor and Georgetown, friends said.
The Republican was first appointed as a judge to Williamson County’s 368th state District Court in 1989 and remained on the bench until 2013, presiding over numerous trials including a highprofile capital-murder case.
“He just seemed to be the right person for the job,” said Buddy Vanecek, who worked in shared settings with Carnes several times during their careers. “He was reelected a number of times. Everybody liked him, so it’s just a tragedy that I can’t believe has happened.”
Susan Carnes taught in Austin, Taylor and Georgetown for 27 years. She worked at T. H. Johnson from 1986 to 1999.
Alderete remembered the teacher as an excellent educator who liked to keep her students in line.
Carnes stressed turning in assignments on time and practicing good behavior, the coworker said.
“She wasn’t their friend, she was their teacher,” Alderete said. “She showed them a lot of respect and the students showed her a lot of respect.”
When the couple was outside of the courthouse and the classroom, Alderete said they were very gracious to friends and family.
She said an older relative of Carnes’, who lived across the street from Alderete’s own parent’s house, received frequent visits from the couple, who would do yard work or housework.
The accused
According to the Taylor High yearbook from Seth Carnes’ senior year, he participated in powerlifting, baseball, football, Spanish club, science club and Students United for Responsible Fun.
After high school, Carnes attended Blinn College and later studied welding at Texas State Technical College, according to his LinkedIn account.
Other than minor runin with the law in 1997, Carnes has no apparent criminal history, according to a records search. A sheriff’s report lists his occupation as a roofer.
Alderete said it was unbelievable to discover Carnes was charged in the untimely deaths of his parents.
She remembered him as a 10-year-old boy who would go to his mother’s classroom after school and “never in a million years thought he would do this.”
“The child looked sweet and innocent like most kids do nowadays,” she said. “All of it is just shocking. I just cannot process it.”
