Shelly Splittgerber, a 36-year-old woman from Temple, Texas, tragically lost her life on December 20, 2018. She was killed by her estranged husband, Matthew Splittgerber, who also took the life of Shelly's mother, Sherry Gray, and injured their 4-year-old son, Corden Fidler. The incident occurred just one day after Shelly had filed a restraining order against Matthew, citing family violence and harassment.
Matthew Splittgerber, aged 36, shot Shelly and her mother inside their home before
turning the gun on himself. The police were called to the scene early in the morning and found Shelly and her son lying in the front yard with gunshot wounds. Corden was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but survived the attack. The tragic event unfolded as a murder-suicide, leaving three people dead and one severely injured.
The restraining order Shelly had filed was intended to protect her and her son from Matthew's threats and harassment. However, Matthew was never served the order before he carried out the attack. The court documents revealed that Matthew had been harassing Shelly with threatening texts and had even followed Corden's school bus. Despite the legal protection, the system failed to prevent the violence.
The aftermath of the incident saw a GoFundMe campaign launched to support Corden's medical expenses, which raised over $25,000. The community also came together to hold memorial services for Shelly and her mother, honoring their lives and contributions as educators.
This heartbreaking case highlights the challenges and limitations of protective orders in preventing domestic violence and the devastating consequences that can result when they fail.
