Naman Shrestha
A regular visitation with his daughter at the church in Tyler County, Texas, turned deadly for Nathan Maddox and his wife, Krystal Maddox, in January 2014. The tragedy left the entire close-knit community shell-shocked. While the family of the Maddox couple grieved and demanded justice, the investigators uncovered a shockingly elaborate murder plot. The entire case and the investigation that ensued are covered in a detailed manner in Investigation Discovery’s ‘My Family’s Deadly Secret: Murder at the House of God,’ which also features exclusive interviews with the individuals connected to the victims and the hunt for the perpetrator/s.
Nathan and Krystal Maddox Were Ambushed After a Church Service
Nathan Bradley Maddox was born on October 5, 1979, in Kirbyville, Texas, to a set of loving parents, James Earl “Jim” and Kelly Ann Tullos Maddox, who raised him alongside his brothers, Joshua and Matt Maddox, and sisters, Monica, Mia, and Hanna Maddox. At some point, Nathan relocated to Tyler County, where he was employed at Lufkin Industries. His first marriage to Kristen Westfall, with whom he shared a daughter named Madison “Maddie” Maddox, didn’t work out, and the couple parted ways while sharing the custody of their daughter. Later, he crossed paths with Krystal Renee Humphus and the two fell head over heels in love with each other.
Born on September 16, 1983, in Woodville, Texas, to Paul Thomas Humphus and Rhonda Renee Durham, Krystal was raised in a loving and caring household alongside her two brothers, Elijah Humphus and Wesley Russell, and two sisters, Kourtney Banks and Rebecca Wall. For a few years, she was married to Kevin A. Langlinais. A longtime resident of Tyler County, Krystal was an entrepreneur operating a couple of companies — All That Sparkles & Shabby Chic Peek-a-Boutique and Krystal Maddox Photography. After Krystal and Nathan tied the knot, they shared each other’s children and loved them as their own. They were proud parents of Madison Maddox, Makenzie McGowan, Makayla McGowan, and Mason Maddox.
On the fateful day of January 18, 2014, Nathan and Krystal headed to the Mount Carmel Baptist Church on Recreational Road 255, near Colmesneil, for a supervised visit with the former’s 5-year-old daughter, Madison. As they were walking out of the church after the supervised visitation, the couple was fatally shot multiple times in the parking lot. The authorities were immediately called to the crime scene, where they discovered 34-year-old Nathan and 30-year-old Krystal dead due to gunshot wounds. They secured the perimeter and launched a double homicide investigation without wasting any time.
The Killers Were Likely Motivated by the Custody Battle For Nathan’s Daughter
As part of the investigation, the detectives delved deep into the personal lives of Nathan and Krystal Maddox and learned that it was Nathan’s last supervised visitation with Maddie in the presence of his ex-wife’s mother, Letha Westfall. The relationship between him and his former wife, Kristen, was far from amicable as they went through a heated custody battle for their daughter. Despite Kristen’s best efforts, Nathan managed to win visitation rights, which enraged her further. Thus, Kristen was considered a person of interest and a potential suspect in the case.
As they interrogated her, the police were shocked to know that more people from her family, including her parents, Lloyd Paul and Letha Westfall, and her brother, Cameron Westfall, could be involved in the double homicide. It turned out that Letha, who was the supervising adult with Maddie, had alerted Lloyd and Kristen when Krystal and Nathan left the church service, signalling that it was the right time to strike. During the investigation, Cameron was responsible for hiding the murder weapons, including a shotgun, rifle, shotgun shells, and rifle cartridges, and other evidence, such as duct tape and gloves, in a pond.
When interviewed, Cameron cooperated with the detectives and led them to the hidden pieces of evidence. He also agreed to testify against his family members in case they went to trial. More than seven weeks after the murders outside the church, in March 2014, the four Westfall family members were arrested near the church where the shooting took place. The family was worried that Nathan might get custody of Maddie, which the authorities believed served as the potential motive for the crime. Ultimately, Kristen, Cameron, Letha, and Lloyd Westfall were charged with the murders of Nathan and Krystal Maddox.
Lloyd is Serving His Time at a Psychiatric Hospital, While Letha is Incarcerated at a Texas Prison
At first, Cameron Westfall pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, for which he received a 10-year imprisonment sentence. He also agreed to testify against his family members in court. Less than a couple of weeks later, in May 2016, Letha Westfall also took a guilty plea and avoided going to trial. She was sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole. Next, Nathan’s ex-wife, Kristen, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. While Lloyd Paul Westfall was declared incompetent to stand trial and sent to Vernon State Hospital for treatment and assessment in May 2014, the order was later reversed upon further evaluation.
On May 18, 2017, Lloyd pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in order to avoid the possibility of the death penalty. In exchange for a lesser sentence, he also agreed not to file an appeal in the future. Thus, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing Nathan and Krystal Maddox in January 2014. During his sentencing hearing, the family of the Maddox couple took the stand and addressed the killer. Krystal’s mother, Rhonda, stated, “You got a life sentence today, but so many in this courtroom got a life sentence because of what you did…If I was sitting here with a gun in my hand today, I would not kill you. That is because I have a light in me that comes from a higher place.”
Nathan’s mother, Kelly, also addressed Lloyd, stating, “I don’t have anything to say about mercy. That is between you, God, and the devil and I feel like you are already with one of them.” Meanwhile, Nathan’s father, Jim, prayed for the killer’s soul and said, “I’ve learned true forgiveness through this. It didn’t come easy. It came at a great price.” As of today, 68-year-old Lloyd Paul Westfall is serving his sentence at John Montford Unit or West Texas Hospital in Lubbock, Texas. As for 65-year-old Letha Westfall, she is currently incarcerated at Dr. Lane Murray Unit in Gatesville, Texas. The parole eligibility date for both convicts is scheduled for March 2044.
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