Man sentenced to 99 years in prison for brutally assaulting mother, uncle

HARRISON COUNTY, Texas (KSLA) - According to the Harrison County District Attorney, a man has been sentenced to 99 years in prison for aggravated assault against his mother and uncle.

Carl Dunn, 55, pleaded guilty to the charges on Monday, May 2. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before deciding on his punishment.

On April 27, 2020, dispatchers with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call but didn’t hear anyone on the line. Two deputies responded to the residence on Jackson Arms Road. Upon arrival, Deputy Matthew Hensley went to the locked door and heard a male victim calling for help. He made forced entry and discovered the injured man was Stephen Hegner, 65, Dunn’s uncle.

Hegner was found on the floor under a table. He told Hensley that Dunn shot him and his mother, Kathleen Dunn, 79. Hensley initially believed Dunn was deceased and began to clear the home. Deputies later found Dunn in his bedroom, naked and under the bed. They took him into custody, while the two victims were transported to LSU Medical Center via helicopter.

During the trial, the jury learned Dunn had been living with his mother and uncle. On the night of the incident, Kathleen and Hegner spoke to Dunn about getting on food stamps since he was unemployed. They said it was a casual conversation and Dunn may have been annoyed, but their was no argument. Kathleen then said Dunn went to his room.

A short time later, Kathleen heard gunshots and ran to Hegner’s room. There she saw Dunn had shot him four times and was hitting him with the pistol. She attempted to intervene but was shot in the face. Dunn then chased her into the living room and began hitting her with the pistol as well. She testified that when she was shot, she could feel her teeth shatter.

Dunn hit the two victims with so much force, the barrel of the handgun broke and was found on the living room floor.

The jury also heard from Dr. Bharat Guthi Konda, Kathleen’s attending neurosurgeon. Konda testified that the injuries to both victims were life-threatening and both would have died from their injuries without medical intervention. Kathleen was in the hospital for almost two months, while Dunn is at a rehab facility in Dallas to this day.