Martha Kate Wiant

Martha “Kate” Wiant was a cherished librarian, a devoted mother, and a beloved friend whose passion for education touched countless lives. A native of Louisiana, born in Opelousas on March 8, 1978, Kate was known for her warm personality and her dedication to helping others. She worked as the lead reference and instruction librarian at Texas Wesleyan University, where she had been a valued member of the community for six years. Colleagues remembered her as someone who always went above and beyond, with a true passion for reading and books. She was a graduate of Clarion University and was building a life in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband and their young daughter.

The afternoon of Sunday, August 14, 2016, turned tragic inside the family's home on Castleview Drive in east Fort Worth. In an act of domestic violence, Kate’s husband, 38-year-old Jeremy J. Wiant, shot her. Despite suffering life-threatening gunshot wounds to her neck and upper shoulder, Kate managed to get out of the house and call 911 for help. When her severe injuries made it impossible for her to speak, she handed the phone to her 5-year-old daughter. The little girl’s voice reached the dispatcher, telling them, "my dad shot my mom."

Neighbors were alerted to the horror when they heard the child screaming for help in her front yard. One neighbor, Wilson Toledo, rushed across the street to find the distressed girl, who told him that her father had shot her mother and then himself. When police and paramedics arrived, they found Kate, 38, on a sidewalk outside the home. She was rushed to a local hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries. Officers found Jeremy Wiant deceased inside the front door of the house from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A weapon was discovered near his body. Their daughter was not physically harmed in the incident.

The Fort Worth Police Department investigated the case as a murder-suicide. Court records that surfaced after the tragedy revealed the couple had recently filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, citing significant debt that included substantial student loans, which may have been a contributing factor to the domestic dispute. Jeremy Wiant was originally from the Shippenville area of Pennsylvania and was a graduate of Clarion Area High School.

In the wake of the violence, the community at Texas Wesleyan University was left heartbroken. The university released a statement mourning the loss of a "beloved coworker and friend who was cherished across campus by students faculty and staff." They remembered her as someone who "always went above and beyond to help others." Her family in Louisiana also grieved her sudden and violent death. She was survived by her daughter, Lillian Elizabeth Wiant, her parents, Keith and Lillian Jo Edwards, and two brothers, Aaron and Andrew Edwards, along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services for Kate were held the following Saturday at Calvary Baptist Church in Bayou Chicot, Louisiana, the community where her parents lived. She was laid to rest in the Vandenburg Cemetery. The case was officially closed with the death of the primary suspect, Jeremy Wiant. The investigation confirmed that he was the sole perpetrator in his wife's murder before taking his own life.