Cherry St. deaths ruled murder/suicide

Graham police believe a sheriff’s deputy killed his son, then turned the gun on himself in the case of two men found dead on Cherry Street Thursday. “Based on the evidence discovered during the investigation of the scene, and the preliminary rulings from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, the evidence shows that Joseph Parker shot his son Kensy, and then took his own life,” Graham Police Chief Toni Widner said in a press release yesterday afternoon. “The case is being ruled at this point as a murder/suicide.” The deceased, who were found at 10:39 a.m. Jan. 26 by a family friend, are Joseph E. “Joey” Parker, 61 an honorably retired GPD officer and former member of Graham Fire Department, who was a deputy with the Young County Sheriff’s Department at the time of his death. Also slain was Parker’s son, Kensy L. Parker, 27, also of Graham. Kensy was a 2008 Graham High School graduate and attended Austin Community College. He was a self-employed carpenter and construction worker. The men’s bodies were found in Joseph Parker’s home. Investigators discovered the mens’ bodies in a bedroom and each had an apparent single gunshot wound. A weapon was recovered at the scene. Leading the investigation was GPD Sgt. Chris Denney, with the assistance of the Texas Rangers. For the rest of this story, pick up a copy of Wednesday’s Graham Leader, or subscribe to our online edition.