ANNA, Texas — A 55-year-old man from Anna has been sentenced to life in prison for his wife's murder, according to Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis.
In March of 2021, Joseph Daniel Enriquez called 911 and said he shot his wife. The Anna Police Department responded to the home and found Enriquez's wife lying dead in the bathroom with a shotgun wound to her chest.
According to Willis, Enriquez told police that he accidentally pulled the trigger while he was putting his gun away. He insisted that the shotgun was not loaded; however, Anna PD officers checked the gun and found a live round in the chamber, Willis said in a press release.
Months later, while awaiting trial in the Collin County jail, Enriquez called a family member with a second story, Willis said. This time, Enriquez said his wife found out he had an affair eight years prior to the incident and loaded the shotgun herself. Enriquez said he grabbed the gun from her and it accidentally went off.
During the trial, firearms experts refuted Enriquez's claim that the shotgun accidentally went off, saying that this shotgun would require a person to apply 9.5 pounds of pressure in order to pull the trigger. The experts also testified in the trial that the gunshot came from approximately 9-12 feet away from the victim, disputing that the wound was not suffered in close contact during an alleged struggle over the shotgun.
Anna PD Detective Rush Smith investigated the case, and Anna PD Officer Shane Long testified to finding the extra round in the chamber.
A jury found Enriquez guilty of murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
“While the criminal justice system can never make a loved one’s family feel whole again, we hope that the jury’s maximum sentence brings at least some peace and solace to the victim’s family,” Willis said after sentencing.
More Texas headlines:
