Detectives believe a 65-year-old man killed his wife and adult son before dying by suicide inside the family’s home.
FLOWER MOUND, Texas — Police have identified three relatives found dead inside a Flower Mound home and said investigators believe a 65-year-old man was responsible for the deaths of his wife and adult son before dying by suicide.
The Flower Mound Police Department identified the three as Carlos Shelton, 65; Elida Shelton, 63; and Brian Shelton, 27. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Carlos Shelton’s manner of death was suicide and classified the deaths of Elida and Brian Shelton as homicides, according to a police update released Sept. 25. All three lived at the home.
Officers were sent to the 10700 block of Sunrise Circle at about 10:43 a.m. Sept. 23 for a welfare check. Police said two residents had failed to report to work and relatives had been unable to contact them. Based on the circumstances and information officers gathered at the scene, they entered the residence and found three people dead with apparent gunshot wounds.
Detectives believe Carlos Shelton was responsible for the deaths of Elida and Brian Shelton before taking his own life, police said. Investigators are not seeking any outstanding suspects, and authorities said there is no known threat to the public. Police have not announced an exact motive for the deaths.
The investigation initially began with limited information. On the day the bodies were discovered, police said only that three people had been found dead inside the home and that there was no indication of an active threat to the community. By the following day, investigators said preliminary evidence indicated the deaths involved a husband, wife and adult son and were being investigated as a double homicide and suicide.
Police later released the identities after the medical examiner’s office determined the manners of death. The findings established that Elida and Brian Shelton were homicide victims and that Carlos Shelton died by suicide. The police department said the three were members of the same family and shared the Sunrise Circle residence.
Deputy Chief Jim Ball told FOX 4 that police had one previous call involving the home, a domestic disturbance in 2023. Ball said that incident involved a verbal dispute between the homeowners and did not result in an offense. Authorities have not said the earlier call was connected to the September deaths, and police have not identified it as a cause or contributing factor in the case.
A relative later told FOX 4 that Carlos Shelton had faced medical problems and costly bills and suggested financial pressure could have contributed to what happened. That account provides family context but is not an official determination of motive. Police have not established that medical expenses, financial problems or any other particular issue caused the killings.
The welfare check that led officers to the home began after routine signs of concern accumulated: two residents did not arrive at work, and family members could not reach them. Authorities have not publicly released a more detailed chronology of the deaths or said how long the three had been dead before officers entered the residence.
The Flower Mound Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division continues to investigate the case. As of the department’s latest public update, detectives were not looking for another suspect and said there was no known continuing danger to the community. An exact motive remained undetermined.
Author note: Last updated September 27, 2026.