Collin County man claims he 'accidentally' shot his pregnant girlfriend, investigators say
Man says he accidentally shot pregnant girlfriend
23-year-old Hannah Blanchard was two-and-a-half months pregnant with her second child when she was shot and killed. Family members say her 4-year-old girl witnessed the whole thing and spoke with investigators in detail about what she saw.
BLUE RIDGE, Texas - A Collin County man is charged with capital murder for the shooting death of his girlfriend and her unborn child.
Police say he called 911 and claimed he accidentally shot his pregnant girlfriend.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the trailer they shared and found her dead.
She leaves behind a 4-year-old girl who witnessed the shooting.
What we know:
The Collin County Sheriff's Office says 23-year-old Hannah Blanchard was two-and-a-half months pregnant with her second child when she was shot in the chest and killed inside a trailer in Blue Ridge Monday morning.
Blanchard lived in a trailer with her 4-year-old daughter and her boyfriend, 35-year-old Carl Chrisenberry.
The couple’s trailer is on property belonging to Chrisenberry’s relatives, according to Blanchard’s family.
The sheriff’s office says Chrisenberry admitted to shooting Blanchard, claiming it was an accident. However, it appears investigators did not believe his story.
Chrisenberry is charged with capital murder of multiple persons, which includes the unborn child.
What they're saying:
Rebekah Jayde says her cousin, Blanchard, only recently found out she was pregnant with a baby boy.
"She was supposed to come here and show me the sonogram pictures," she said. "She had a name picked out and everything."
Blanchard’s family members say Hazel, her 4-year-old daughter who has a different father, witnessed the shooting and spoke with investigators.
"The investigator told me personally that Hazel gave them quite the detailed statement," said Jacqueline Morton, Blanchard’s aunt. "She watched the whole thing."
"If it wasn’t for her, they probably would’ve thought it was an accident," said Jayde.
Blanchard’s family says the couple had been together for a few years, and it was common for Chrisenberry to say things that made them feel uneasy.
"They were very aggressive things, like the b-word, cussing," said Jayde.
While the family prepares for the court process, they want people to remember Blanchard as someone who loved her daughter and was thrilled to have a baby boy on the way.
"She was just looking for love in her life," said Jayde.
What we don't know:
The Collin County Sheriff’s Office has not said what they believe led to the murder. They have not released any information that led them to believe the shooting was intentional.
Investigators did not reveal what the 4-year-old girl told them.
Dig deeper:
Chrisenberry’s bond is set at $1.5 million.
A records search reveals a lengthy criminal history, including charges like burglary, fraud, DUI and drug offenses.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Collin County Sheriff's Office, online jail records and interviews with the victim's family.