Alleged love triangle in Abilene ends in death, man found with gunshot wound to the chest
The city of Abilene experienced its sixth homicide this year Oct. 14.
According to Taylor County court documents, police were dispatched in the early morning hours to Buffalo Gap Road in south Abilene.
At the scene, officers found a man with a gunshot wound to the chest.
A justice of the peace later pronounced that man dead at the scene. The deceased was identified by police as Mackenzie Chastang, 29, of Abilene. According to allegations in court documents, Matthew Steven Haynes, told officers on the scene that he shot Chastang.
Haynes was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder.
A woman at the scene told officers that she was in “on-and-off-again" relationships with each of the men at different times.
According to the court documents, earlier that day Haynes arrived at the woman's apartment to pick up his belongings while Chastang was gone. Chastang returned to the apartment and he began kicking the door.
The woman told officers she was lying in bed with Haynes when Chastang arrived. As she got out of bed to open the door she heard Haynes say that he was going to shoot Chastang.
As the woman opened the door, Chastang asked if Haynes was there. The woman said he was in the bedroom.
According to court documents, as Chastang entered the bedroom, he remarked that, “it was time for Haynes to leave,” at which point the woman heard two gunshots ring out. After the sound of the gunshots, both men exited the bedroom as Haynes told the woman that "Chastang had charged him.”
Taylor County Assistant District Attorney Dan Joiner said if convicted Haynes could face five to 99 years or life in prison.
Haynes remains in the Taylor County Jail on a $500,000 bond, according to jail records.
Suspects are presumed innocent unless determined to be guilty in a court of law.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Alleged love triangle ends in death in Abilene after shots fired
