East Texas Woman Faces Capital Murder Charges

An East Texas woman is now facing attempted capital murder charges after allegedly misleading law enforcement, leading to an ambush that injured two officers. According to CBS 19, Stephanie O'Connor-Bathe of Quitman, Texas is facing two counts of capital murder of a peace officer in connection to the February 14 officer-involved shooting that left a Wood County deputy and Texas DPS trooper seriously injured.

It's alleged that O'Connor-Bathe had plenty of time to warn officers that her boyfriend, 45-year-old Cody Joe Henderson, was armed and hiding inside the home where officers were attempting to serve a warrant.

What Happened During the Wood County Ambush

The Wood County Sheriff's Office had deputies and DPS officials there to serve six felony warrants on Henderson before he opened fire with a semiautomatic weapon. A deputy and trooper were both shot; other officers returned fire. Henderson died due to injuries from the gunfight.

Why Investigators Believe Officers Were Misled

O'Connor-Bathe told officers multiple times that her boyfriend and another woman packed their things and left, and that she was alone in the house. She told law enforcement that he was not there and that she didn't know where he was.

When the deputy and trooper entered the home, Henderson was hiding in a hallway bathroom and opened fire. Four days after the shooting, O'Connor-Bathe was charged with hindering apprehension.

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Text Messages Become Key Evidence

Investigators went through her phone and found text messages admitting that she knew he was inside the home when she opened the door to allow officers to enter the residence.

In a conversation after the incident, O'Connor-Bathe wrote, "well he should've killed em," followed by "jk".

Other text messages show that O'Connor-Bathe had plans to leave with Henderson. Also, that O'Connor-Bathe purchased the firearm, Henderson used to shoot the deputy.

She was indicted on the attempted capital murder charges on May 11, she currently remains in the Wood County Jail on bonds over $2 million.