Austin James Markowski Texas teen charged with the shooting murder of his mother’s fiance during move to new Live Oak home. Victim killed with mom’s gun.
A Texas 17 year old boy who shot his mother’s fiancé on New Year’s Day during a domestic incident is facing murder charges after the victim fatally succumbed to his injuries several days later.
Come Monday, Austin James Markowski was charged with the shooting murder of 36 year old man, Jose Luis Duran. The shooting occurred as the family were moving from their San Antonio residence to a new home in Live Oak.
Responding police found Duran with multiple gunshot wounds. Duran was taken to a hospital and was pronounced brain dead. He died five days later from his injuries.
The fatal shooting arose from a heated argument between Duran and Markowski’s half-brother Daniel Clement. The two had a history of violence between them, according to a witness affidavit supporting Markowski’s arrest the San Antonio Express reported.
The half-brothers’ mother, Erica Rendon, was engaged to Duran.
Simmering family discord erupts
In the days leading up to the shooting, Clement allegedly refused to help with the move, in turn angering Duran.
According to the affidavit, Rendon told Duran that Clement suffered from schizoaffective disorder and asked him to leave her son alone, but the two men got into a heated fight three days before the shooting.
Matters erupted once again upon the family’s first day living in the new home, with Clement and Duran once again fighting. At some point, the mother sought to intercede as the fighting became physical, with Clement slapping Duran in the face, with the mother and her son either falling to the ground or being pushed by Duran trying to get to Clement.
Markowski who had been in another room, told cops of hearing noises and retrieving a Rendon’s Glock 19 — a 9 mm handgun — before going to see what the commotion was about, according to the affidavit. When Markowski entered the bedroom, he began shooting at Duran, the affidavit said.
During police questioning, Markowski said he had witnessed Duran push his mother to the floor and then brandish a knife that had its blade retracted — prompting him to shoot Duran four times.
After shooting Duran, Markowski cleared the weapon and put it down.
Rendon told police that Duran was known to carry a folding knife but did not see him pull it out during the fight. The teens’ mother said she did not see her fiancé brandish the knife, according to KEYE.
Police later found the knife with the blade folded in the handle. They also found four spent shell casings and one ammunition projectile.
Markowski was initially arrested on an aggravated assault charge, which was upgraded to murder after Duran died.
Markowski is being held on $300,000 bail.
