PLANO, Texas — The woman accused of shooting and killing her ex-husband in Plano Friday told police he "got physical" with her before she defended herself, according to police documents obtained by WFAA Tuesday.
Merridith Nunley also described herself as "in a trance" at the time and told officers she shot David Nunley after "finding out he was talking to an 'illegal' woman," according to the documents.
Plano police said Tuesday there is a history of calls to the address involving domestic disturbances and welfare concerns. At least some of the calls to police were from David Nunley, who sought a protective order against Merridith in 2022.
In his request for the order, David Nunley wrote "I am extremely concerned for my safety, as well as my children's safety."
He detailed Merridith Nunley's past mental health issues and said she had previously pointed a gun at him, bit him, hit him and damaged his car.
A text message included in the April 2022 filing, purportedly from Merridith Nunley to David Nunley, said "I see two ways, 1. I put a .45 through my temple, 2. I go on a homicidal rampage [...] leaving all the kids orphans [sic]."
Two friends of Merridith Nunley, who did not want their names disclosed for fear it could affect the criminal case, told WFAA Tuesday she told them David Nunley had been physical and emotionally abusive toward her in the past.
One provided a copy of a March text message, purportedly from Merridith Nunley, claiming David Nunley "lost it" on one of his children and "hurt her."
"There appears to have been a lot of domestic trouble in the relationship and my client has stated she acted in self-defense," said Merridith Nunley's attorney Mitch Nolte. "We’ll have to get a lot more information from the police and family and friends before we have a complete understanding of this situation."
Plano Police Department Public Information Officer Jennifer Chapman said detectives will investigate whether the shooting was in self-defense.
"That’s certainly an option in every case that we investigate. And so they’re going to do whatever they can to get the facts and the truth and go from there," she said.
Documents from police indicate Merridith Nunley told officers "Y'all have been to the our house multiple times and I've told them what he has done to me and I'm the one that got in trouble repeatedly."
The pair finalized their divorce in October 2022 and a judge granted David Nunley custody of their children, court documents showed.
In his petition for an order of protection restricting his then-wife from their home, David Nunley wrote "Merridith is extremely short tempered and prone to nasty outbursts toward me but more importantly the children, destroying their self-esteem and causing them emotional harm."
David Nunley wrote she threatened to take her own life on multiple occasions and had gone to several "thirty-day treatment programs over the years for mental issues."
The two friends of Merridith Nunley acknowledged her struggles with depression, but insisted she would not have hurt her children.
None of the children were at home at the time of the shooting, police said.