Abilene Homicide: Murder Suspect Accused of Double Murder in 1999

ABILENE, TX - According to a KTXS report, Abilene Police have identified the victim from Friday's homicide as 48-year-old Debra Jean Helgerson. 

According to the report, her body was found in a duplex in the 700 block of Chaparral Circle after police were called to the scene at around 8:45 a.m.  

According to the original report, the call received by dispatch was for an injured subject. 

"It was immediately obvious that this was a homicide investigation," Sgt. Lynn Beard told KTXS.

However, a suspect has not been identified at this time, Beard said.  

Helgerson worked at Goodwill-West Texas as an accounting specialist.

Update: October 28

Abilene police have arrested and charged Michael Eugene Shubert, 38, for the murder of 48-year-old Debra Jean Helgerson.

Police told KTXS, Helgerson was the mother of Shubert's ex-girlfriend. His bound was set at $750,000.

KTXS reported Shubert has an arrest record dating back to 2001. Other charges include assault, family violence, and violation of a protective order. 

Update: October 31

A new development in the murder of Debra Jean Helgerson has come to light due to further investigation. In the last update, Michael Eugene Shubert was charged with of his ex-girlfriend's mother. 

Court documents indicated that Shubert had threatened to kill the mom before, noted KTXS Abilene news source.

Shubert has been accused of stabbing Helgerson to death early in the morning on Friday, Oct. 28.

It has been discovered that "in May, five months earlier, Shubert texted Helgerson's daughter, Kristina "Tina" Endres, and said, 'If you send your mom over again, she's dead." This was stated in documents obtained by KTXS.

KTXS added, "The text message is part of an affidavit filed by Endres when she sought a protective order against Shubert. In it, she told police that Shubert, her boyfriend of eight years, was mad because he couldn't find his wallet and keys."

Endres added that Shubert texted her to say that "he was done and getting more angry when he thinks about the past."

According to the news source, Endres said that Shubert blamed her for losing his job and kids. In response to this, he threw her stuff out in the yard, including her two dogs. 

When Helgerson drove by the house to pick up the dogs, Endres said that Shubert stated he would kill her mother if she came back. 

KTXS reported, "Endres went to the house later that day with a police escort to get her belongings.While she was talking to the officer, Endres said Shubert walked to the gate and waved a shotgun in the air. The officer told Shubert to put the gun down, but he refused. Instead, Shubert told the officer to 'shoot me.'"

Shubert then told the police that "there were two people inside that he shot." After looking in the house, there were no shooting victims.

"According to the Taylor County Jail records, police arrested Shubert on numerous charges including terroristic threat, criminal trespass, criminal mischief and assault family violence. He was released on a $47,000 bond," KTXS stated.

Earlier this month, Endres and Helgerson requested a second protective order from Shubert. KTXS obtained court documents saying Shubert was mad at Helgerson for testifying against him in a hearing last Monday. The judge banned Shubert from contacting Endres or Helgerson. 

On Oct. 10, Shubert was served with a protective order that Endres' lawyer filed two days before the murder. 

KTXS had learned and revealed that this is not Shubert's first arrest for murder. According to the police records they obtained by Big Spring Police, in June 1999, Shubert was arrested for a double murder. 

KTXS said, "According to the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Shubert claimed he shot Antonio Miguel Armijo in self-defense. But the medical examiner determined Armijo was shot in the back of the head, a wound inconsistent with a self-defense shooting."

A second body of a man, Francisco Javier Navarro, was also found lying next to Armijo in Shubert's front yard, which is information from the Avalanche Journal. 

After a trial by jury, Shubert was later found not guilty. 

Later, the double murder was tied to a drug trafficking ring. At some point, when Flores and Armijo were transporting marijuana for Elizardo Aranda, 48, of Odessa, from the U.S. Mexico border to Big Spring and Odessa, they stole 40-50 pounds of marijuana and cash.

A DEA Agent, Mike Keene testified that Armijo told Aranda that Flores acted alone. Arando then ordered Armijo to get the money from Flores. 

The night of the double murder, Flores and Armijo attended a party at Shubert's home. 

KTXS stated, "During the party, Navarro pistol-whipped Flores before Shubert chased Armijo and Navarro out of his house, according to the Odessa American. Keene said when they came back, Shubert killed them."

Another arrest for Shubert took place in Howard County in Feb. of 2001.

"Shubert was charged with violating a protective order two months after his then wife, Elesha, filed for one," KTXS stated.

Later that year, Shubert found his way back into handcuffs in Taylor County for the same charges.