Why Did a Texas Sheriff murder his wife - or did he? Part 2

Estimated Time Line for Sat. & Sun. 05/28-29/1994

From the time that Kimble County Sheriff Hal Bynum called 9-1-1 to report finding his wife dead from what he claimed was a heart attack, to her autopsy the same day, to Bynum being questioned by Texas Rangers, then allegedly shooting himself the next day - just over 24 hours elapsed. 

Saturday 05/28/95

4:50 a.m. - Hal Bynum calls 9-1-1 and tells sheriff dispatcher

        wife Connie had heart attack; 

-        Dispatcher calls Chief Deputy Mike Chapman

-       Chapman arrives at Bynums’ home at airport -

      Bynum claims found wife naked and dead by dog pens,

      dragged her inside and put on couch.

-       body removed; Bynum resists calling Texas Rangers

      to investigate, finally consents

11:00 a.m. Autopsy by Bexar Co. Medical Examiners

       conclude homicide by two stab wounds deep inside vagina

12:20 p.m. -      Ranger Clete Buckalew dispatched to meet Rangers Fred                                     

                                       Cummings and Jim Denman in Junction

4:00 p.m. -      Rangers arrive at DA Ron Sutton’s office; Sutton says Bynum and wife

                                       lived in trailer house at airport which they also oversaw; Bynum obsessed over 

                                       affair she had 3 years earlier with a pilot named Joe Burkholder                                         

4:30 p.m. - Deputy Chapman arrives at Sutton’s - repeats Sutton’s story, adds that 

                                       Bynum told him he and Connie argued, she went outside naked, he found

                                       her dead by dog pens

5:10 p.m. - Rangers and JP Ragsdale view Connie’s body at local funeral home. 

                                       Observe multiple injuries including possible ligature markings on wrists, bite

                                       on one breast 

                                              

8:30 p.m. Bynum comes to DA Sutton's office voluntarily; answers questions, signs statement

                                       Rangers tell him they think he murdered wife, but don’t arrest him; Tell Bynum the M.E.                would reexamine body following morning at 9:00 a.m.

Sunday 05/29/94

09:00 a.m.        Ranger Dedman observes Med. Examiner do second exam of body; ME finds more

                                      signs of trauma; concludes death was homicide caused by two deep stab wounds inside

                                     vagina

       09:00 a.m.             While second exam being conducted by M.E., Bynum calls Sheriff’s Office 

                                     and asks tha Deputies Chapman and John Cary meet him at remote airstrip on a ranch. 

                                     On arrival they discover Bynum’s body, apparently killed with self inflicted shotgun blast