Both suspects accused in the murder of Abilene Police officer Don Allen are now scheduled for a bond reduction hearing in Callahan County on Thursday.
BigCountryHomepage.com previously reported that Violetta Walter is scheduled for a hearing this week, and has since learned Monday morning that Phillip Walter is scheduled for the same day.
Both suspects are being held in the Taylor County on Jail on bonds totaling $600,000 each for charges of first degree murder, robbery, and theft of a firearm. All three charges are related to Officer Allen’s death.
May 2, 2016 is the tentative date set for the couple to stand trial for the crime in 42nd District Court in Callahan County, according to the District Clerk who says The Walters are also scheduled to appear in the courthouse on April 12 for a ‘docket call’.
They were arrested just days after Officer Don Allen, 27, was discovered deceased inside his home on Yucca Drive in Clyde.
Autopsy results concluded the cause of death was asphyxiation and the manner of death is homicide. Those are the only details the Callahan County District Attorney’s Office will tell the media, because the autopsy is considered evidence.
A search warrant filed by the Texas Rangers reveals how Officer Allen allegedly met the suspects accused of his murder.
The warrant is for information stored at the Craigslist headquarters in San Francisco. Investigating authorities believe, “the victim [Officer Allen] created a posting under the personal ads. The suspects responded to the ad and arranged to meet with the victim. The meeting resulted in the death of the victim and property being stolen from his residence,” the document states.
The Texas Rangers want any information pertaining to the post in question including the poster’s name, date of birth, driver license number, address, phone number, email address, IP address, and more. They believe this post was the one created by Officer Allen.
The Walters match the description of suspects witnesses saw around the crime scene described by the Abilene Police Department during a press conference. The Walters also own a maroon sedan that looks like one that was seen leaving the scene.
A latent fingerprint belonging to Philip Walter was found on a water bottle that was inside the home. Detectives took it in for processing because it seemed out of place.
Violet and Philip were caught on surveillance video pawning a Playstation, four games, and a bracelet at the Wild Bill’s Pawn Shop on S. Danville Drive at 6:14 p.m. the night of the murder.
Officer Allen’s fiancé later confirmed the bracelet belonged to her. She said she didn’t even realize it was missing.
According to the documents, his fiancé walked in on the evening of August 31 and found his body “face down on the floor in the master bedroom, his hands tied behind his back and his ankles tied together, readily apparent he was dead.” An initial survey indicated he was strangled.
(Information from BigCountryHomepage.com)