Darlene Gentry
Darlene (Doskocil) Gentry, Age 34, is currently incarcerated at the Murray Correctional
Facility for Women at Gatesville, Texas for the murder of Waymon Keith Gentry, age 31.
Gentry was sentenced to 60 years. According to sentencing guidelines she has to serve
half (30 years) of the sentence before being eligible for parole. If released in 2037 she'll
be 62 years old.
Parole Eligibility: February 4, 2037
Projected Release Date: Feb. 5, 2067.
No one knows how long she'd planned it.
What they do know is that she did it.
2005 - November 8 - Darlene Gentry had been out that evening.
She'd lied to her mother-in- law (yet again) in order to get her to babysit.
2005 - November 9 - The next morning Darlene opens the gun
cabinet, takes out a .22 caliber gun, and with their three sons asleep in
the house, walks into the bedroom and coldly, deliberately shoots Keith in
the back of his head. She wakes the children and then calls 911. (Audio)
She calmly provides information about the open door, the guns, and then
as an afterthought tells the operator that her husband is bleeding.
When Police arrive, they examine several guns lying on the lawn, discarded
as if by a burglar, and officers feel it is a staged scene. EMT's find Keith
Parole Eligibility: February 4, 2037
Projected Release Date: Feb. 5, 2067.
No one knows how long she'd planned it.
What they do know is that she did it.
2005 - November 8 - Darlene Gentry had been out that evening.
She'd lied to her mother-in- law (yet again) in order to get her to babysit.
2005 - November 9 - The next morning Darlene opens the gun
cabinet, takes out a .22 caliber gun, and with their three sons asleep in
the house, walks into the bedroom and coldly, deliberately shoots Keith in
the back of his head. She wakes the children and then calls 911. (Audio)
She calmly provides information about the open door, the guns, and then
as an afterthought tells the operator that her husband is bleeding.
When Police arrive, they examine several guns lying on the lawn, discarded
as if by a burglar, and officers feel it is a staged scene. EMT's find Keith
unconscious but breathing raspily and they quickly ascertain that he's been
shot in the back of his head.
As the sirens converge on the house, Keith's parents, family, friends and
neighbors gather in disbelief.
Investigators question Darlene while Keith is rushed to the hospital.
Not once does she ask to check on her husband's condition, or ask them
to do it. She isn't tearful and remains calm.
Some put that down to her nurse's training, but others attribute it to a
cold and malignant heart. Police swab her hands and gunshot residue is
found.
Being a registered nurse, it is surprising to all that when Darlene called
911 she hadn't assessed how severely Keith was wounded, didn't render any
aid to stop the bleeding, or to immediately inform the operator that an
ambulance was required. According to police, she seemed to have deliberately
shot in the back of his head.
As the sirens converge on the house, Keith's parents, family, friends and
neighbors gather in disbelief.
Investigators question Darlene while Keith is rushed to the hospital.
Not once does she ask to check on her husband's condition, or ask them
to do it. She isn't tearful and remains calm.
Some put that down to her nurse's training, but others attribute it to a
cold and malignant heart. Police swab her hands and gunshot residue is
found.
Being a registered nurse, it is surprising to all that when Darlene called
911 she hadn't assessed how severely Keith was wounded, didn't render any
aid to stop the bleeding, or to immediately inform the operator that an
ambulance was required. According to police, she seemed to have deliberately
provided "too much information."
The doctors work desperately to save Keith's life. Darlene however, is out
in the hallway asking her girlfriend Amy to lie for her. She'd told her
mother-in-law that she had needed to get out of the house and was joining
Amy in Temple at a Fuddrucker's restaurant, so that her mother in law would
babysit for her. Amy had been in Temple, but Darlene hadn't been with her.
Waymon Keith Gentry is taken off life support, and a few hours later, he is
dead. His family, children, friends, co-workers and neighbors are devastated.
But not Darlene.
Crime lab investigators with metal detectors and dogs scour the scene for
evidence. In the kitchen trash can investigators find a pair of latex
gloves and a .22 shell casing. Forensics will find that the gloves, with
blood on them, contain Darlene's DNA. Darlene's print is on one gun but
the others out on the lawn are clean. There isn't a broken lock or glass
on the doors or windows.
Keith's parents live next door and they immediately take Darlene and the
children into their home. They fully support Darlene and don't believe
she killed their son. But they soon begin to see that they may have been
mistaken in that belief.
CPS arrives, not to take the children, but merely to speak with Darlene.
The Gentry family is treated to a side of Darlene they hadn't known
existed. Darlene blows a gasket. Not only does she curse, flail her arms
around and stomp her feet, but she throws CPS out the door.
Investigators are analyzing and probing both the evidence, and Keith and
Darlene's backgrounds. As the level of mistrust grows, Darlene leaves the
children with their grandparents and moves in with one of Keith's sisters
two houses away.
What Investigators find out is that Keith Gentry was a homebody, preferring
to spend time with the children. He'd even quit a lucrative job that kept
him away from home in exchange for a lower paying job that he hated, but
would allow him to stay at home more. He was concerend about his wife's
neglect of the children, pawning them off on his parents all the time.
Darlene had given up a higher paying job in the big city to come back to
the small town and get married to Keith. During the 6 1/2 years of their
marriage she had seemed to be happy, but after awhile she began going out
more and her mother in law shouldered a disproportionate share of raising
their children. That's when Keith had switched jobs. He'd also told his parents
The doctors work desperately to save Keith's life. Darlene however, is out
in the hallway asking her girlfriend Amy to lie for her. She'd told her
mother-in-law that she had needed to get out of the house and was joining
Amy in Temple at a Fuddrucker's restaurant, so that her mother in law would
babysit for her. Amy had been in Temple, but Darlene hadn't been with her.
Waymon Keith Gentry is taken off life support, and a few hours later, he is
dead. His family, children, friends, co-workers and neighbors are devastated.
But not Darlene.
Crime lab investigators with metal detectors and dogs scour the scene for
evidence. In the kitchen trash can investigators find a pair of latex
gloves and a .22 shell casing. Forensics will find that the gloves, with
blood on them, contain Darlene's DNA. Darlene's print is on one gun but
the others out on the lawn are clean. There isn't a broken lock or glass
on the doors or windows.
Keith's parents live next door and they immediately take Darlene and the
children into their home. They fully support Darlene and don't believe
she killed their son. But they soon begin to see that they may have been
mistaken in that belief.
CPS arrives, not to take the children, but merely to speak with Darlene.
The Gentry family is treated to a side of Darlene they hadn't known
existed. Darlene blows a gasket. Not only does she curse, flail her arms
around and stomp her feet, but she throws CPS out the door.
Investigators are analyzing and probing both the evidence, and Keith and
Darlene's backgrounds. As the level of mistrust grows, Darlene leaves the
children with their grandparents and moves in with one of Keith's sisters
two houses away.
What Investigators find out is that Keith Gentry was a homebody, preferring
to spend time with the children. He'd even quit a lucrative job that kept
him away from home in exchange for a lower paying job that he hated, but
would allow him to stay at home more. He was concerend about his wife's
neglect of the children, pawning them off on his parents all the time.
Darlene had given up a higher paying job in the big city to come back to
the small town and get married to Keith. During the 6 1/2 years of their
marriage she had seemed to be happy, but after awhile she began going out
more and her mother in law shouldered a disproportionate share of raising
their children. That's when Keith had switched jobs. He'd also told his parents
"I'll never leave Darlene. She'll have to leave me."
Keith Gentry was also insured to the tune of $500,000.
Collins “She was never happy. She didn’t want to be at home with the
family. My brother wanted to settle down and stay at home with the family.
She just didn’t.” Instead, she’d go out. He wanted to be there to bathe
the kids and put the kids to bed. He was like the perfect little dad. They
wrestled. They played ball. They were happy.”
Despite LE's efforts to investigate other avenues or possible suspects,
the evidence in the case was damning and pointed directly to one person,
Darlene Gentry. She realizes she's under suspicion for his death, and
doesn't apply for the insurance.
Darlene contacted Robert Pavelka. He'd heard about Keith's death and was
surprised Darlene was contacting him. He was even more surprised when she
asked him to bulldoze her house. After telling her that bulldozing such a
new house wasn't a good idea, he suggests that she think about moving, and
that he has some land she could look at. One property she looked over had
a pond. At first she claims that Keith had always wanted a property with a
pond to take the boys fishing and the pond would be perfect. Darlene goes
back out to the property with her mother to look it over again.
A week later Darlene wants him to fill the pond in. Pavelka's suspicions are
aroused and he decides to call a friend, a sheriff's investigator and voice
his concerns.
2006 - January 4 - That's where the Texas Rangers come into
the investigation. After divers retrieve the gun, given to Keith 9 years
before by his father Waymon Gentry, a sting is set up. Pavelka calls Darlene
and tells her that the pond has to be drained before it can be filled in.
A camera has been set up by the pond. It's pointed directly at the site where
the gun has been recovered. Darlene takes the bait. Dressed in jeans and a
sweater, and with high waders she walks into the pond and begins probing the
bottom. She glances cautiously at nearby construction workers and continues
probing. Darlene doesn't find what she's looking for.
Two months after the shooting investigators drive over to the hospital where
she works and arrest Darlene Gentry.
The trial was concluded with a guilty verdict. (photos) In the punishment phase,
Keith Gentry was also insured to the tune of $500,000.
Collins “She was never happy. She didn’t want to be at home with the
family. My brother wanted to settle down and stay at home with the family.
She just didn’t.” Instead, she’d go out. He wanted to be there to bathe
the kids and put the kids to bed. He was like the perfect little dad. They
wrestled. They played ball. They were happy.”
Despite LE's efforts to investigate other avenues or possible suspects,
the evidence in the case was damning and pointed directly to one person,
Darlene Gentry. She realizes she's under suspicion for his death, and
doesn't apply for the insurance.
Darlene contacted Robert Pavelka. He'd heard about Keith's death and was
surprised Darlene was contacting him. He was even more surprised when she
asked him to bulldoze her house. After telling her that bulldozing such a
new house wasn't a good idea, he suggests that she think about moving, and
that he has some land she could look at. One property she looked over had
a pond. At first she claims that Keith had always wanted a property with a
pond to take the boys fishing and the pond would be perfect. Darlene goes
back out to the property with her mother to look it over again.
A week later Darlene wants him to fill the pond in. Pavelka's suspicions are
aroused and he decides to call a friend, a sheriff's investigator and voice
his concerns.
2006 - January 4 - That's where the Texas Rangers come into
the investigation. After divers retrieve the gun, given to Keith 9 years
before by his father Waymon Gentry, a sting is set up. Pavelka calls Darlene
and tells her that the pond has to be drained before it can be filled in.
A camera has been set up by the pond. It's pointed directly at the site where
the gun has been recovered. Darlene takes the bait. Dressed in jeans and a
sweater, and with high waders she walks into the pond and begins probing the
bottom. She glances cautiously at nearby construction workers and continues
probing. Darlene doesn't find what she's looking for.
Two months after the shooting investigators drive over to the hospital where
she works and arrest Darlene Gentry.
The trial was concluded with a guilty verdict. (photos) In the punishment phase,
a co-worker of Darlene's from the hospital, along with four of her family members
asked the court to give Darlene "probation" for the sake of her three young sons.
Can you imagine? Darlene Gentry took their sons' father away from them by murder
and they think she deserved probation for it.
Videos
A close friend of the Keith & Darlene's, Amy Nering “We honestly still just don’t know."
Can you imagine? Darlene Gentry took their sons' father away from them by murder
and they think she deserved probation for it.
Videos
A close friend of the Keith & Darlene's, Amy Nering “We honestly still just don’t know."
“He didn’t beat her. He had a good job. He was a good dad. I mean, we cannot figure
it out.” “The first thing I said was, ‘Did she do it?" “I don’t know why I said that. It
was just my first reaction.”
Darlene Gentry's petition of appeal to the 10th Court of Appeals has been denied.
Darlene Gentry's petition of appeal to the 10th Court of Appeals has been denied.
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