Jadon Carpy charged with murdering Australian Brenton Estorffe in Texas in 2019

Murder charges have been laid after an Australian man was gunned down in his Texas home while trying to protect his wife and children.

Exclusive: An Australian shot dead in his Texas home in 2019 was the victim of a horrific case of mistaken identity, with police alleging his killers were targeting someone else and broke into the wrong house.

Brenton Estorffe, from Queensland, was killed in his home in the outer suburbs of Houston when intruders broke in and woke him up after a family celebration for his birthday.

The 29-year-old confronted them in a brave effort to protect his American wife and their two children, aged three and one, before he was shot and the offenders fled.

Investigators from the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office have now charged Jadon Carpy, 21, with Mr Estorffe’s murder as they continue to hunt for his alleged accomplices.

Brenton Estorffe with his wife Angelenna. Picture: Supplied

In an exclusive interview, Lieutenant Scott Heinemeyer said: “It’s a mistaken identity kind of home invasion gone wrong.”

“The suspects entered the residence we believe they think belonged to someone else, and encountered Mr Estorffe and his family,” he said.

He alleged the suspects were targeting “another person” but said he could not shed light on the motive for the bungled attack.

Mr Carpy was arrested with the assistance of a specialist violent offenders task force in his Houston home on February 23, and was also charged with possessing a prohibited weapon.

Lt Heinemeyer confirmed he had “prior interaction with law enforcement”.

He assured Mr Estorffe’s family that police were still investigating Mr Carpy’s alleged accomplices.

“I can’t say how many, but I can tell you that there is more or other actors other than Jadon Carpy, and we’re going to aggressively pursue those persons to seek justice for the Estorffe family,” Lt Heinemeyer said.

Jadon Carpy has been charged with murdering Australian Brenton Estorffe in Texas in 2019. Picture: Supplied

“We have an idea of where they are … We’re still working on all that information and evidence, and presenting it to the District Attorney’s Office.”

“We’re not going to lay down at this point … We have worked this case through to get one suspect into custody, but we’re going to continue to do that, and we would like to get as many offenders into custody as possible.”

Mr Carpy is awaiting trial behind bars at the Fort Bend County Jail after his bond was set at $US350,000.

Captain Dalia Simons, the commander of Fort Bend’s criminal investigations division, said they had been determined to solve the cold case after three and a half years.

Mr Estorffe’s father Michael told Channel Seven after the arrest: “It doesn’t feel real … but, like I always said, life’s cruel but you’ve got to be strong and get through it.”

Brenton Estorffe’s father, Michael. Picture: Cade Mooney

“We’ve suffered since day one, and all those other people that were involved in this have been having Christmases and all their birthdays at home, and enjoying their lives,” he said.

Mr Estorffe’s wife Angelenna, in a call to 911 after the assailants broke into their home, said: “Help me please … ohh … someone just broke into my house and shot my husband.”

“I just heard glass shattering and then my husband jumped up and took off after them … and they just … they started shooting,” she told the operator through tears.

Mr Estorffe, originally from the Sunshine Coast, moved to the US in 2012 to play college football at Southern Virginia University.

He and his wife moved into the home in Katy, Texas about six months before the incident, and he had been working for a car rental company.

Originally published as Jadon Carpy charged with murdering Australian Brenton Estorffe in Texas in 2019