PLANO, Texas — The man who police said was shot and killed by his ex-wife in Plano this weekend had filed for a protective order against her nearly two years to the day before he was killed, documents obtained by WFAA showed.
In the request for the 2022 protective 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]."
Plano police said Merridith Nunley shot and killed David Nunley at his home on Monticello Circle Friday night. She called friends of family to tell them she shot him, as he called 911 to report his own shooting, police said. Officers said he died at the scene.
A longtime colleague and friend of David Nunley told WFAA he spoke with him hours before the shooting and he expressed concern about his safety.
"He said 'she was trying to kill me,'" the friend said.
He said he told David Nunley "get away."
David Nunley's aunt Zandra Earle told WFAA she believed he was fearful of Meredith Nunley, but "to him everyone was good -- even his ex-wife who shot him."
Earle said David Nunley was on the phone with his 7th grade daughter when Nunley entered the home. None of his five children -- including three school-aged kids he had with Nunley, were home at the time of the shooting, Earle said.
"Those kids have a double tragedy," Earle said, "because their mother murdered him."
Officers arrested Merridith Nunley about a mile from the home and booked her into the Collin County Jail early Saturday morning.
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."
Earle said David Nunley was trying to "help" his ex-wife get on her feet. The family has now started a GoFundMe to raise money to support his children's future.
