Relative of slain Johnson County couple questioned in their shooting deaths

A relative of a Johnson County couple who were found shot to death in their home was being interviewed by authorities after he was taken into custody, according to news reports.

Deputies with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office were conducting interviews with the relative, who was described as a person of interest in the deaths of 66-year-old Mike Scarlett and his wife, 68-year-old Kay Scarlett.

KDFW-TV reported the man was in custody, but authorities said he’s not facing a murder charge at this time.

The bodies of Kay Scarlett and Mike Scarlett were found Thursday at their home in the 1700 block of Don Lee Road in Joshua by deputies.

Authorities had gone to the home two other times after family members asked that they check on the couple, but no one answered the door. Additional calls from relatives prompted deputies to return to the home on Thursday.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that both died from multiple shotgun wounds and their deaths were homicides.

The couple’s truck, missing from the scene, was later found in the parking lot of Texas Health Huguley Hospital Fort Worth, according to the sheriff’s office. The relative may have left the scene in the truck, the Cleburne Times-Review reported.

The tragedy hit the North Texas film community hard because Mike Scarlett was known as screenwriter, actor, singer and all-around performer, KDFW-TV reported.

“It’s heartbreaking he is no longer with us,” Inna Selinger told KDFW.

On Sunday, Mike Scarlett’s film “The Cabin” premiered at Dallas’ Studio Movie Grill as planned.

“Everyone was expecting to see him and see his wife and congratulate them,” Israel Luna, who is the founder of the Rack Focus Film Competition, told KDFW. “Like something that’s bigger than me or the competition, because now it’s marked as his last film.”