A suspect has been charged with one count of murder in connection with the death late last month of William Dow Schauer, 70, of Terrell.
Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks said a murder warrant was issued for Kyle Anthony Kauffmann, 18, of Terrell. Kauffmann was being held Monday in the Ellis County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond on the murder charge and $5,000 bond on a felony theft charge.
“Kauffmann had committed a theft in Terrell and the Terrell Police Department had a theft warrant issued for him and he was picked up on that warrant and placed in the Ellis County Jail,” Meeks said. “In the meantime, we were able to get a murder warrant issued for the suspect and we served the warrant on him in Ellis County. We should be transporting the suspect to the Hunt County Detention Center this week on the murder charges.”
The Hunt County Sheriff’s Office received a call on the afternoon of November 26 of an unattended death at a residence on County Road 2400 west of Quinlan. Upon arrival, deputies discovered Schauer deceased inside his home.
Family members had found Schauer after not hearing from him for a couple of days.
Schauer’s 2012 white Lincoln sedan, along with other items, were discovered missing. The vehicle was later found in a parking lot at an apartment complex in Terrell.
“I would like to commend Lt. Roger Seals and our Criminal Investigation Division for working countless hours on this case and gathering enough information to get a warrant for the suspect,” Meeks said. “I would also like to thank Texas Ranger Laura Simmons for her help in solving this case.”
Schauer’s death was at least the eighth reported homicide in Hunt County during 2014.