Wednesday, August 27, 2008

McKinney man accused of murder relinquishes parental rights

By Rodney Williams of McKinneyNews.net

Brent Stephens allegedly murdered his ex-wife Denise on April 12.

In a small room with iron bars for doors sits a man accused of murdering his former wife and leaving their three children without parents. Brent Stephens is accused of murdering ex-wife Denise in cold blood in her office on May 12. He then threatened to throw himself off an overpass on Highway 190 and was subsequently arrested by Dallas police.

Denise was brutally beaten to death with a baseball bat inside that office, and prosecutors say Brent, 40, is the man behind the murderous act. Brent was indicted on a charge of murder (not capital, therefore he is not subject to the death penalty) and will go on trial in Dallas County on Oct. 14.

Getting a trial date on a murder charge within six months is something of a surprise, especially since a spokesman for the Dallas County District Attorney's Office confirmed for McKinneyNews.net on Aug. 4 that no trial date had yet been set.

What is even more surprising is the accused killer's most recent act.

Brent, in a somewhat surprising move, voluntarily signed an affidavit relinquishing all parental rights to Denise's mother, Betty Seymour. The affidavit will still have to be approved by the court, but the document surely removes Brent from his children's future as it terminate all of his parental rights.

Denise left behind three children - Mia (2), Breanna (7) and Zoe (9) - who are in the custody of Seymour. Although he currently resides inside the small confines of a Dallas County jail cell, Brent still has rights to his children. This was a situation which Seymour and attorney Brad Nace sought to rectify on Sept. 8 when Collin County 296th District Court Judge John Roach, Jr. was set to hear the case.

Judge Roach, Jr., will still hear testimony on Sept. 8, but thanks to Brent the nature of the case has changed significantly.

Nace, who represents Seymour and who represented Denise in her divorce case against Brent, registered mild surprise about Brent's actions when he talked to McKinneyNews.net.

"This step removes Brent Stephens as conservator, assuming the court grants relief. Am I surprised? Yes and no. But I won't elaborate at this time as to the reasons why," he said. "In my opinion, it shows some accountability of actions. I'm not sure to what extent, though."

No one but Brent can be certain of the motives behind the signing of the affidavit. There doesn't seem to be anything for him to gain from this. Regardless, Nace said the news went over will with his client.

"I think Betty is elated," he said, "but obviously cognizant that it needs a final ruling."

Even following the Sept. 8 hearing, there is still legal proceedings in Seymour's future. Brent's parents - Paula and Wendall Seamans - are seeking to secure visitation rights. The Seamans filed for intervention on the temporary order granting Seymour sole managing conservatorship of the children.

A hearing was held in Judge Roach, Jr.'s court and an amicus curiae was appointed to provide the children counseling and the court feedback on the mental and emotional health of the Stephens children.

In the meantime, Seymour and the Seamans have a somewhat uneasy truce going. Seymour has, and will maintain, sole managing conservatorship of the children, while the Seamans are allowed to occasionally see and visit their grandchildren. There is no date set for a hearing in this matter, though Nace noted a softening of tensions in recent weeks.

"I think that time is healing," he said.

Pegasus News content partner - McKinneyNews.net

See more stories in:

• Crime > Murder
• Won't someone PLEASE think of the children?