SMITH COUNTY, Texas — Arrest documents say a Tyler man and his elderly father were fighting about the care of an injured dog before the son shot and killed his father during an early Monday morning shooting.
Christopher Tilley, 43, is charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of his father Dell Howard Tilley, 79. He remains in the Smith County Jail on a $750,000 bond.
According to the Smith County Sheriff's Office, on Monday around 12:30 am, officials were called to the scene of a shooting in the 14600 block of Park Hill Drive, just off Highway 31 West in Tyler. A woman called to say her brother shot her father.
According to an arrest affidavit, Dell Tilley was found with a gunshot wound to his neck and abdomen. Dell Tilley's wife told deputies that her husband and Christopher Tilley were arguing all day about who was going to take care of a dog in the home. She said the father and son were arguing in a bedroom, and when she was in the kitchen, she heard multiple gunshots from the bedroom.
During an interview at the sheriff's office, Christopher Tilley told investigators that his father was upset over the way Christopher Tilley was caring for an injured dog inside his father's bedroom. Christopher Tilley said during the argument Dell Tilley came from across the room, grabbed Christopher Tilley by the neck and started choking him, the affidavit said.
Christopher Tilley said in the interview that he and his father ended up on the ground during the altercation. Christopher Tilley said he was unable to get away, and he then got his gun from his waistband. Christopher Tilley thought he only fired once, according to the affidavit.
Christopher Tilley gave inconsistent recollections of what exactly happened when he fired shots at his father. He did not give CPR and he placed the gun in the bathroom, the document read.
Police said they detected the strong odor of alcohol in the room when interviewing Christopher Tilley.
Dell Tilley's body will be sent to Dallas for autopsy. The investigation is ongoing.