Houston crime: Suspect arrested in fatal shooting of sister on Martin Luther King Boulevard
Houston - A suspect wanted in connection with a fatal shooting that claimed the life of his sister in southeast Houston has been apprehended.
Richard Taplin, 35, faces charges of murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and unlawful carry of a weapon with a felony conviction in the 208th State District Court.
The incident occurred on April 27 at approximately 9:50 p.m. at 8100 Martin Luther King Boulevard, where police responded to a shooting call. Upon arrival, officers discovered Sarah Taplin, 24, with a gunshot wound. Despite efforts by paramedics, she died at the scene.
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According to reports from HPD, an altercation ensued between the victim and another unidentified woman. Richard Taplin intervened by retrieving a firearm from someone nearby, subsequently firing shots at the woman as she ran away. In the chaos, Taplin also fired shots into a crowded gas station parking lot across the street.
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Tragically, during the gunfire exchange, Sarah Taplin, the suspect's sister, was struck at least once. Richard Taplin then fled the scene.
Following intensive investigative efforts, a joint operation involving the HPD Southeast Division Crime Suppression Team, the US Marshals Services' Gulf Coast Violent Offender Fugitive Task Force, and the Arizona Wanted Violent Offender Task Force led to the arrest of Taplin in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 20. He is currently held in Maricopa County Jail awaiting extradition to Harris County.
