WFPD arrests man accused of murder

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - The Wichita Falls Police Department responded to a nighttime July 4 call to check welfare in the 4300 block of Craigmont Dr.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers found paramedics rendering aid to a man with a headshot wound. A woman at the scene was pronounced deceased, apparently from a gunshot wound to her face and right shoulder.

According to the affidavit, police found what appeared to be blood in the bathroom of Morgan Whalon’s home. Whalon told police her mother, Joan Frank, 62, lives with her. Whalon’s stepfather, Cedric Sarton, 65, lives in the house part of the time.

Whalon told police her mother called to her from the bathroom of their house and asked for the police because Sartin had a gun. When Whalon went to see what was happening, she saw the bathroom door open, and her mother was sitting in the tub. She saw her stepfather, Sartin, standing over her mother, and stated Sartin shot her mother with a gun, then walked out of the bathroom.

Whalon then reports that Sartin walked into his bedroom and shot himself in the head.

Whalon claims she ran to her mother, drained the bathtub of water, called 911, and started CPR. She reported she could hear Sartin in his bedroom, so she locked the bathroom door and continued to perform compressions until the police arrived.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers noted what appeared to be blood in the bathroom and Sartin’s bedroom.

WFPD arrested Sartin on Aug. 16 after he was treated for his gunshot wound. He is being held on a $750,000 bond.

“We very proud of our detectives and all our officers that were involved,” Sargeant Charlie Eipper of the WFPD said. “We appreciate the patience of the community in realizing that sometimes we have to wait to make arrests.”