Man sentenced to 30 years for killing his wife

A League City man was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Friday for shooting and killing his wife on Thanksgiving night in 2019.

Dudley Joseph Bernard called police on that Nov. 28 to say he accidentally shot Chauntelle Linnea Bernard, 42, in their home in the 2300 block of Indigo Harbour Lane in League City.

When Galveston police arrived, they found her body in the foyer surrounded by shell casings, authorities said.

Bernard, who worked for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, was charged with murder and held in Galveston County on a $200,000 bond. During his jury trial in August 2020, it was revealed that the couple had been struggling with cheating and other problems, authorities said.

Through witness testimony and footage from a Ring camera, the jury saw his wife shout to her sister that Bernard was getting his gun, according to a news release.

He then went to his truck, grabbed his weapon and kicked in the back door of the house, officers said.

He pushed her sister aside, shot at his wife multiple times and fired six rounds at the back of her head as she lay on the ground, authorities said.

Evidence revealed that Bernard shot every bullet in his .45-caliber gun, officials said.

The jury came back with a guilty verdict on Aug. 5. On Friday, the judge sentenced him to 30 years in prison. He will be eligible for parole in 15 years, officials said.