Denton County woman killed estranged husband who was taking custody of their daughter, police say

A Denton County woman fatally shot her estranged husband Saturday night while he was at her house for a custody exchange, police say.

Little Elm police were called just before 6 p.m. to the 1500 block of Toucan Drive, near South Paloma Creek Boulevard and Rosson Road in an unincorporated part of the county.

When officers arrived, 34-year-old Kyle Laborda was lying in the home’s front yard with a gunshot wound in his abdomen, police said. He was taken to Medical City Denton Hospital, where he died.

Marianna Bailey, 35, admitted shooting Laborda, police said, and was taken into custody.

Police said Laborda, who lived in California, was at the home to take custody of their 6-year-old daughter. He and Bailey had been separated for some time but were still legally married, police said.

Court records from San Bernardino County, Calif., show that the two had been locked in a custody battle that began days after the girl’s first birthday in 2014. On July 17, a judge ruled that the child had to be returned to Laborda’s custody no later than Sunday.

Bailey was booked into the Denton County jail on a murder charge. Her bail is set at $1 million.

The child was placed in temporary foster care, police said.