Veronica Castillo Dunnachie, a woman who gunned down her stepdaughter and husband, will have her case covered on the brand new season opener for Evil Stepmothers this week on the ID channel, Herald Democrat reports. Authorities say three years ago, a deranged Veronica Dunnachie shot and killed Russell “Russ” Dunnachie, 50, and his daughter, Kimberly “K.J” Dunnachie, 20, in their Arlington, Texas, home. Evil Stepmothers, which began airing in 2016, documents cases of stepmothers who have snapped and killed. Law enforcement investigators will give a walk-through of the case, and family members will reflect on their memories. The Evil Stepmothers episode airing tonight is called “Caught In Her Cross Hairs.”
A show I’ve sincerely missed is returning to @DiscoveryID on May 4th! #EvilStepmothers #IDAddicts #InvestigationDiscovery pic.twitter.com/Oe7QiBvaFW
— Chris Michael Ward (@ChrisMichaelW) April 7, 2017
The Worst Stepmother
When Veronica Dunnachie woke up that morning in December of 2014, she knew exactly how it would end for Kimberly and Russ Dunnachie. The tension in the Edinburgh Street home had been building for months and Veronica and Russ were on the brink of a divorce, according to the Star-Telegram .
Veronica Dunnachie treated her stepdaughter, Kim Dunnachie, terribly. In fact, Veronica Dunnachie was the epitome of the stepmother from hell. The trouble in the household was no secret, and at times, it seemed as if Veronica truly hated Kimberly. However, no one could have predicted the tragic events.
Go google Shawn Fuller, Christy Sheats, Veronica Dunnachie, Nina Obukhov, Meleanie Hain… @bosseone2 @CruzaderGal @theobserver #GunsKill pic.twitter.com/XQzUxscRcH
— Mom,Veteran,Consumer (@Nikluk) November 29, 2016
All that Russ Dunnachie could think of was how he had to get Veronica Dunnachie out of the house. He knew that they might have a chance at a happy life again once the judge ruled in his favor. He didn’t realize that having her officially ousted from the house was exactly what was going to take to push her over the edge. In December of 2014, 36-year-old Veronica Dunnachie got her children ready for school and dropped them off. But instead of returning home to fulfill her wifely duties, she took out her gun and killed her stepdaughter and her estranged husband, Kimberly and Russ Dunnachie.
After the father-daughter killing, Veronica Dunnachie called a friend to tell him that she had shot her family. Her friend instructed her to drive herself to a nearby mental health facility. News of the shooting spread throughout the community, and an elementary school in the area had to be placed on lock-down.
@DLoesch @TXTylerNorris @EricaGrieder I’m still waiting to hear from Veronica Dunnachie… http://t.co/djRRY504hP
— Joe Deshotel (@joethepleb) March 27, 2015
The friend contacted police and alerted them that there might be two badly injured people inside the home. When investigators arrived to perform the welfare check, they found their blood-soaked bodies. Relatives of Russ and Kim Dunnachie were sickened over their deaths. Kimberly’s classmates were especially devastated.
Those who knew Veronica Dunnachie still supported her but wished she would have sought help before she took innocent lives. However, that wouldn’t have been good enough for Veronica. She wanted revenge, believing sometimes it is necessary to remove people from your life to make room for better people, as her Facebook post suggested. Dunnachie was an open and carry advocate, which outraged the community when details of her mental health were called into question.
As news of the case circulated on social media, Facebook posters had no problem expressing their opinions about guns and the people who carry them.
“The irony here is sickening and tragic. So…let me get this straight. Open Carry people believe that “more guns save people”. She was a card-carrying member of said organization. AND YET. Her defense attorney said that her access to guns played a role in the murders?! So…they get to have their official tagline and also use it as a defense for murder.”
“She was loud and proud about open carry. Hope she enjoys her stay at the Iron Bar Hotel.”
“Guess she won’t be carrying any more.”
“What a surprise. You carry a gun to shoot somebody, right?”
“AND LOOK AT THAT FACE SHE READY TO KILL AGAIN.!!!!”
“Another example of guns keeping people safe…”
Today, Veronica Dunnachie is serving a life sentence with no chance of parole at a Texas correctional facility. Kim Dunnachie had graduated from Sherman High School just two years prior. She had her whole life ahead of her. Now, all her family and friends can do is try to hold on to the good memories. The story of Kim and Russell Dunnachie will air tonight on Evil Stepmothers on ID. Check your local listings for times.
[Featured Image by Kimberly Dunnachie/ Facebook ]