Wife of Australian man shot dead in Texas remembers ‘amazing father’ in plea to killers
Brenton and Angeleanna Estorffe. Photo: Facebook
The wife of an Australian man gunned down by intruders in his US home says she will not feel safe until the killers are caught.
Angeleanna Estorffe said the shock death of her husband Brenton had robbed the couple’s children of an “amazing father”.
“He dedicated his life to them,” Mrs Estorffe said.
Mr Estorffe, 29, originally from Queensland, was shot dead on October 16 after he went to confront intruders in his home in Texas.
His wife and the children, aged one and three, were sleeping at the time of the attack.
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Mrs Estorffe made an emotional plea on Thursday night local time for her husband’s killers to come forward.
“My kids are going to grow up without a dad and that’s not something I ever wanted,” she told Seven News.
“I just pray to God that they realise the mistake they’ve made and they just come out, so that we feel safe again.”
The young wife of an Australian shot dead by intruders in their Texas home has broken her silence with a message to her husband's killers. Angeleanna Estorffe had just celebrated Brenton's birthday and put their children to bed when two men broke in. https://t.co/K0mZ3nqMnp pic.twitter.com/PTkjs2wmsY
— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) October 24, 2019
Ms Estorffe also shared her final memory of her husband, celebrating his 29th birthday with his family.
“We sang happy birthday to him and you know, the good dad that he is, he let the kids blow out the candles instead of him,” she said.
“I just want whoever did this to understand what they did to our life, he was an amazing father.”
Mr Estorffe moved to the US in 2011 to study business at university while playing basketball and American football.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of alumnus Brenton Estorffe after his tragic passing several days ago. Estorffe played basketball and football for Southern Virginia University while majoring in business (’15). pic.twitter.com/8mLCcl9HOW
— Southern Virginia University (@svuedu) October 21, 2019
On the night of his murder in the town of Katy, near Houston, Mr Estorffe had bravely confronted intruders who smashed a window and broke into his home.
Police released harrowing audio of his wife’s desperate call to 911.
“I think he’s really hurt,” Mrs Estorffe tells the operator.
“Baby, are you OK?
“I’m sorry I have two kids in the house, I don’t know what to do.
“How long before the cops are here?
“I don’t know what to do.
“I don’t know what to do.
“I’m so sorry.”
Fort Bend county sheriffs also released video of what they believe could be the suspect’s vehicle, a light-coloured four-door sedan with what appeared to be a sunroof.
It was captured on a neighbour’s residential surveillance camera just before the shooting and then seen leaving just after shots were fired.
-with AAP