Family Remembers 20-Year-Old Killed in Arlington Double-Homicide

Family members have confirmed a 20-year-old woman from Sherman was killed in Wednesday’s double-homicide in Arlington.

They said Kimberly “KJ” Dunnachie had recently moved to Arlington to live with her father, Russell Dunnachie, who was also killed, at his home in the 2500 block of Edinburgh.

They said she wanted to help care for her younger half-siblings as her father was going through a divorce with his estranged wife, Veronica Dunnachie.

KJ Dunnachie’s mother, Diana Gillum, said her daughter was at the home Wednesday afternoon with her father when Veronica Dunnachie, showed up, got into a domestic dispute and shot the two.

According to court documents, Veronica Dunnachie then left the home, called a friend and told them what she’d done, then drove herself to a mental hospital where she was later arrested by Arlington police.

Gillum said she got a knock at the door of her Sherman home at 1 a.m. Thursday.

“They said, ‘Ma’am, I have bad news to tell you. Your daughter has been shot.’ I couldn’t believe it. It was just like a nightmare,” said Gillum through tears. “She was an amazing kid, someone that was always right there. Everyone when they were asking for help, she was always right there.”

Gillum said her daughter, who worked at Cracker Barrel, was always looking to help others.

Gillum and her husband said they never worried about KJ Dunnachie’s safety living in Arlington and believed Veronica Dunnachie was not living at the home for the most part.

“Shock. The initial reaction was devastation and shock. And we’re still in shock,” said her step-father, Mike Gillum.

The family said while they are numb from the pain, they’re working to cling to their favorite memories with their daughter, including her love for horses and how she would often spend time with her 8-year-old half-brother, Michael.

While holding a picture of KJ, Michael told NBC 5 his favorite memories of his sister.

“A long time ago I used to, we used to build Legos together. We had very fun doing that,” he said, wiping away tears.

Diana Gillum said the last time she saw her daughter was a week before her death, when KJ Dunnachie had surprised her mom with flowers at work.

“I love you baby. My baby girl,” said Diana Gillum. “I miss you so much. She was my other half. She was just like me.”

The family has established a GoFundMe account to help pay for funeral expenses.

Veronica Dunnachie remains jailed in Arlington and faces a charge of capital murder in the deaths.