Celina man sentenced to life without parole for killing wife and 2 children
McKINNEY, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — Michael Patrick Paton, 39, of Celina, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of his wife and two children, officials announced Thursday.
Paton pleaded guilty to capital murder in Nov. 2022 after killing Tamara Jo Paton, 36, Kyndle Paton, 14, and Evan Paton, 13, all of Celina, and setting fire to the house the family lived in Feb. 2021.
"Some things really should go without saying, but husbands and fathers should bravely protect their families, not use their special access to permanently eliminate them. Our deepest condolences are with those who loved Tamara Jo, Kyndle and Evan," District Attorney Greg Willis said in a statement after the sentencing.
On Feb. 19, 2021, Celina officers responded to a caller - later identified as Paton - who told dispatchers that he had shot his wife and that there was a fire in the master bedroom. He also said that his children were in the house and that he was standing outside with a gun.
When police arrived, Paton put his gun down and was detained by a responding officer.
Celina firefighters entered the home to render first aid, but Tamara Jo and her three children had already died of gunshot wounds.