Granddaughter charged with murder of grandmother




Jourdanton police and Adult Protective Services were dispatched to a residence on Fig Street in Jourdanton on Sept. 19 for a welfare check regarding an elderly female who had not been seen in some time. Diane Carpenter, 75, was found deceased in the home. JOURDANTON POLICE DEPARTMENT | COURTESY PHOTO

Jourdanton police and Adult Protective Services were dispatched to a residence on Fig Street in Jourdanton on Sept. 19 for a welfare check regarding an elderly female who had not been seen in some time. Diane Carpenter, 75, was found deceased in the home. JOURDANTON POLICE DEPARTMENT | COURTESY PHOTO

At 10:35 a.m. on Sept. 19, Jourdanton Police Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 700 block of Fig Street in Jourdanton for a “Welfare Check” regarding an elderly female who had not been seen in some time.

Patrol officers, as well as a worker from Adult Protective Services, arrived at the location and spoke to two family members who also resided with the elderly woman. After speaking with both family members, officers were told by one of them that the missing woman was on the premises and “hurt.”

With this information, officers entered the residence and found the deceased body of the woman in question in a bedroom. Further investigation indicated that the deceased woman had been stabbed in the torso with a sharp instrument or instruments. Initial indicators are that she had been deceased for at least a week, possibly longer. The victim was identified as Diane Adams Carpenter, age 75.

The two family members were brought to the Jourdanton Police Department and interviewed. One of them, identified as Marlena Jaramillo (age 25 and the victim’s granddaughter) allegedly admitted to stabbing her grandmother in the chest.

The second family member, identified as Roberta Carpenter (age 49 and the victim’s daughter) allegedly admitted that she knew about the stabbing and the deceased body, but chose not to contact or report the incident to police.

Jourdanton Police have charged Marlena Jaramillo with Murder (1st Degree Felony) and Tampering with Evidence (2nd Degree Felony). Roberta Carpenter was charged with Tampering with Evidence (2nd Degree Felony). Both individuals will be remanded to the custody of the Atascosa County Jail.

The Texas Rangers are assisting Jourdanton Investigators in these cases.

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