A former Red Hook resident, Patricia Ruth Holt, 57, faces a first-degree murder charge in Texas after allegedly shooting her boss, Carl Joseph Donaldson, in the head. Holt, who had previously attempted to gun down her high school English teacher nearly four decades ago, was arrested on July 24 in Hutchins, Texas, and is being held in the Dallas County Jail on $1 million bail.
According to an arrest warrant from the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, Holt was working as an over-the-road truck driver for Hutchins Trucking Yard when she shot Donaldson, the 47-year-old manager of the business. After the shooting, Holt reportedly threatened to shoot others at the scene who were filming the incident.
She fled the scene, leading authorities on a slow-speed pursuit before police used spike strips to stop the tractor-trailer. Holt then barricaded herself inside the truck’s cab for nearly four hours. While in the truck, Holt allegedly told police that she planned to either turn the gun on herself or provoke law enforcement to “shoot her” in what is commonly known as “suicide by cop.”
When arrested, Holt was found with a handgun that had one round in the chamber and a loaded magazine. In an unsettling statement, Holt allegedly told authorities that she had been planning to shoot Donaldson “for months,” explaining, “they have been f—ing with her for too long,” and that she had been waiting two years to be paid.
However, Donaldson’s wife, Tonya, questioned Holt’s claims, pointing out that Holt had only been employed since June and had already been paid for her work, according to The Daily Freeman.
Holt’s arrest brought up memories of a violent incident from her youth in Red Hook. In 1986, at 18 years old, Holt was removed from class for behavioral issues and later returned to Red Hook High School with a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, intending to shoot her beloved English teacher.
When she couldn’t find the teacher, Holt entered the faculty lounge, where two teachers tackled her and seized the gun. Holt was initially charged with attempted murder, assault, and criminal trespass. She was found incompetent to stand trial but eventually pleaded guilty to attempted assault, receiving five years of probation and inpatient psychiatric treatment.