GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas — Dudley Joseph Bernard was sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing his wife three years ago.
On Nov. 28, 2019, Bernard, then 40, called 911 and said he accidentally shot his wife, Chauntelle Linnea Bernard, 42, at their League City home. They both worked for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Chauntelle Bernard's sister, mother and children were at the house at the time of the shooting. Her sister was frantic and told responding officers that Dudley Bernard "killed my sister."
Editor's note: The videos in this article are from reports in 2019.
Chauntelle Bernard's body was found in the foyer of the home and several shell casings were found nearby. Dudley Bernard was arrested and charged with murder.
During the trial, neighbors testified that the Bernards were normal neighbors. No one in the South Shore Harbor neighborhood knew about the infidelity and marriage problems they were going through.
On the day of the shooting, Dudley Bernard went to his truck and grabbed his gun, kicked in the back door of the house, pushed his sister-in-law out of the way and shot his wife in the arm, side and side of her head. As Chauntelle Bernard was laying on the floor, Dudley Bernard stood over her body and fired six shots into the back of her head. He emptied an entire 13-round, .45-caliber magazine during the rampage.
Chauntelle Bernard's son heard the gunshots and saw his mother dead on the ground. His birthday was the following day.
A detective testified that the scene was one of the most brutal he had ever seen in his 30 years as an officer.
Dudley Bernard was found guilty by a jury on Aug. 5 and he chose to have his punishment assessed by the judge. On Oct. 28, Judge John Ellisor sentenced him to 30 years in prison. He will be eligible for parole after serving 15 years.