Texas man charged with shooting wife in the head and hiding body in bathroom

Weldon Powell was arrested on Wednesday for the murder of his wife, Brittany Powell, after deputies found her body in a bathroom in Quitman, Texas. New arrest documents allege the suspect shot his wife in the temple, dragged her through the back door, and left her surrounded by ice for several days.

The investigation began on Wednesday when Brittany Powell’s brother-in-law contacted Wood County dispatch with a welfare concern. The man reported that he and his wife had not heard from Brittany in three days, a period he described as unusual. He noted that neither Powell had shown up for work during that time. His wife, who is also Brittany’s sister, had last spoken to Brittany three days earlier after a physical altercation between the couple. During that exchange, Brittany texted that she “was not good” and promised to call as soon as she could.

The brother-in-law tracked his sister-in-law’s location using the Life360 app, which showed her last known position at Lake Quitman three days prior. He drove to the lake around noon on Wednesday but did not find her. At 2:30 p.m., he reached out to Weldon Powell, who claimed he was running errands while his wife stayed home. The brother-in-law drove past the store where Weldon said he was but saw neither the man nor his truck. He then went to the couple’s residence, knocked, and called out to Brittany without receiving a response.

After telling Weldon he would call the police, the brother-in-law noted that Weldon acted indifferent. Weldon did not answer any subsequent calls. Around 6 p.m., dispatchers pinged the couple’s phones, and Brittany’s device registered a signal at Lake Quitman. Approximately 45 minutes later, the family’s landlord arrived at the home to check on pets he noticed were left alone. Upon entering, he discovered Brittany Powell’s body in the bathroom and called 911.

The landlord told deputies that Weldon Powell arrived at the house shortly after the call. He sped away at high speed when he saw the landlord and headed toward the front gate of Holiday Villages. Deputies located Powell at the gate and placed him in custody. The affidavit states that blood marks on the floor led from the outside back door into the bathroom, suggesting she was shot elsewhere before being moved. Weldon Powell is currently held in the Wood County Jail on a $1,000,000 bond.

The case relies on digital evidence and witness accounts to establish the timeline of events over the three-day period before the body was found. The specific location of the initial shooting remains under review by investigators.