Family’s killer filed for divorce, sought restraining order
The Fort Worth man who shot his ex-wife, her three children and boyfriend at a Denton County home had initiated their divorce in August, court records show.
Amanda Lee Simpson, the mother of the three children killed Wednesday, was the only survivor of the rampage carried out by her ex-husband, Justin Painter. She was in stable condition Thursday morning, a hospital spokesperson said.
The Tarrant County medical examiner’s office identified the children as Drake Painter, 4; Caydence Painter, 6; and Odin Painter, 8. Simpson’s boyfriend Seth Richardson, 29, was also killed in the shooting.
Justin Painter, 39, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after shooting the others at a home in Ponder, officials said.
Records show Painter obtained a temporary restraining order against Simpson during their divorce to prevent her from communicating or interacting with him.
In October 2017, a few months after he first filed for divorce, Painter posted on Facebook that he was in a “complicated” relationship.
“She is worth fighting for,” he added in a comment.
That post has since been flooded with comments such as: “I just don’t understand how someone could kill their babies.”
The divorce was finalized in March, court records show.
Simpson was ordered to pay child support to Painter, records show. He had primary custody of the children, but both parents cared for the children and spent time with them.
In Facebook Live videos posted from her hospital bed, Simpson has recounted the events leading up to the tragedy and detailed her recovery. In one video, she said the judge who handled her divorce didn’t listen when she said her ex-husband was “mentally unstable” and had tried to commit suicide.
In a video posted Thursday morning, Simpson said she and her boyfriend were just beginning to “start a life” together.
“Justin couldn’t accept that I made a decision to make myself happy,” she said, speaking about her ex-husband.