CLAY COUNTY — Police say a woman from Clay County’s daughter and son-in-law threatened to put her in a care home unless she gave them all of her property and power of attorney. They had already taken steps to get deeds to her land, home, and mineral rights.
The case led to charges against William and Kimber Dunkelberg of Wichita Falls. They are no longer in the Clay County jail.
The charges of taking advantage of an elderly person and lying to get property were brought after the victim hired a lawyer who told the sheriff’s office about the alleged attempts to take control of the woman’s property in Joy while she was in a care center in Henrietta.
She said that her son-in-law came to get her on the day she was finally free, but she had to sign some papers before she could leave the center. The papers would have given the couple her home, land, and mining rights, which were worth more than $300,000.
When she told him she didn’t want to sign, William got mad and said he would leave her in the center until she did, and she would have to pay her bills there. He then left her.
According to the victim, she found out that her daughter had signed papers earlier that gave Kimber and her husband the rights to her land, home, and minerals without her knowledge.
She also said that mail service had to be stopped because the couple had taken mineral rights checks from her mailbox and opened other mail while she was in the nursing home.
She said that they also broke the lease she had on her mining rights, which meant she lost this income as well. There was a new lock on her gate, but they wouldn’t take her home from the care center.
Medical records show that the victim is fully capable of handling her affairs, and Adult Protective Services told them they would file a criminal case against the couple on the victim’s behalf.
