A Travis County grand jury has declined to hand down charges related to the death in December of legendary Austin drummer Bill Maddox. Maddox was killed in his Southwest Austin home after a neighbor, John DeBrecht, broke into the home Maddox shared with his wife, Rhonda. DeBrecht attacked Rhonda; in an attempt to stop him, Rhonda shot DeBrecht in the shoulder, reports Travis County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Roger Wade. DeBrecht, who lived a half-mile from the Maddox home in the sleepy enclave of Scenic Brook, near Oak Hill, but didn’t know the couple, continued to try to attack Rhonda as Bill blocked her from his advances. A scuffle ensued, and DeBrecht somehow ended up with the gun. As the two men fought, the gun went off, hitting Maddox. Maddox and DeBrecht tumbled down a flight of stairs, and DeBrecht hit his head. Maddox died at the scene; DeBrecht died three days later, but whether his death was a direct result of the head wound wasn’t clear, Wade said. Ultimately, the grand jury, meeting last month, declined to file charges against Rhonda in connection with DeBrecht’s death, and because DeBrecht is also deceased, it could not file charges in connection with Bill Maddox’s death. For more on Maddox’s musical life, see “Old Soul,” March 18.
This article appears in July 15 • 2011.