Ep. 049 | The Murder of Dr. Kendra Hatcher
Kendra Hatcher, a 35-year-old pediatric dentist living in Dallas, Texas, was shot and killed in the parking garage of her upscale apartment complex on September 2, 2015. The murder was orchestrated by Brenda Delgado, the ex-girlfriend of Kendra’s boyfriend, Ricky Paniagua, who had grown jealous of their relationship. Brenda recruited Crystal Cortes to drive getaway and hired Kristopher Love to carry out the shooting, promising payment in exchange. Delgado provided Cortes with information about Kendra’s whereabouts and used her connections to obtain the murder weapon.
The plot unraveled quickly as investigators tracked down Cortes, who confessed and implicated both Love and Delgado. Love was later convicted and sentenced to death, while Delgado, who had fled to Mexico, was extradited and received a life sentence. The case shocked the community not only for its calculated nature, but also because of the seemingly senseless motive: jealousy turned deadly.
SOURCES:
CBS DFW. (2016, April 8). Brenda Delgado, fugitive in Dallas dentist murder case, arrested in Mexico. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/dfw/news/brenda-delgado-fugitive-in-dallas-dentist-murder-case-arrested-in-mexico/
CBS News. (2019, June 7). Brenda Delgado sentenced to life for murder of Dallas dentist. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brenda-delgado-sentenced-to-life-for-murder-of-dallas-dentist-kendra-hatcher/
Channel 8 WFAA. (2018, October 31). Kristopher Love sentenced to death for murder of Kendra Hatcher. https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/kristopher-love-sentenced-to-death-for-murder-of-kendra-hatcher/287-609402396
Channel 8 WFAA. (2019, June 7). Brenda Delgado found guilty of capital murder in Dallas dentist’s death. https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/crime/brenda-delgado-found-guilty-of-capital-murder-in-dallas-dentists-death/287-9f5f2122-65a3-44a7-b178-d65b999aa5d5
Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. (2019, June 7). Jury finds Brenda Delgado guilty of capital murder. https://www.dallascounty.org/
Dominguez, M. (2021, May 24). The murder of Dr. Kendra Hatcher: A case of deadly jealousy. Oxygen True Crime. https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/crime-news/kendra-hatcher-murder-case-brenda-delgado-crystal-cortes
Fernandez, M. (2016, April 9). Brenda Delgado, accused mastermind of dentist’s killing, is caught in Mexico. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/10/us/brenda-delgado-dallas-dentist-killing.html
FOX 4 News. (2019, June 7). Brenda Delgado sentenced to life in prison for murder-for-hire plot. https://www.fox4news.com/news/brenda-delgado-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-murder-for-hire-plot
Hernandez, J. (2018, October 31). Kristopher Love sentenced to death for killing Dallas dentist. The Dallas Morning News. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2018/10/31/jury-sentences-kristopher-love-to-death-for-killing-dallas-dentist-kendra-hatcher/
Jaramillo, N. (2019, June 7). Brenda Delgado guilty of murder in Kendra Hatcher case. NBC DFW. https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/brenda-delgado-guilty-of-murder-in-kendra-hatcher-case/2264/
Mitchell, M. (2016, April 8). Timeline: Events leading to Brenda Delgado’s capture. NBC DFW. https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/timeline-events-leading-to-brenda-delgados-capture/63228/
Moore, M. (2019, June 7). Brenda Delgado sentenced to life for murder of Dallas dentist. The Dallas Morning News. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2019/06/07/brenda-delgado-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-murder-of-dallas-dentist-kendra-hatcher/
Oxygen. (2019). Snapped: Brenda Delgado [Television series episode]. Oxygen Media. https://www.oxygen.com/snapped/season-25/episode-21/brenda-delgado
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. (2021). Love v. State of Texas: Opinion on appeal from the 283rd District Court, Dallas County. https://search.txcourts.gov/SearchMedia.aspx?MediaVersionID=50eb4a33-9b88-44f5-9882-17c444caeecb&MediaID=c2e430a4-e04f-4861-a4c5-510331e8e6c3&coa=coscca&DT=OPINION&MediaVersionID=50eb4a33-9b88-44f5-9882-17c444caeecb
Texas Monthly. (2020, February). How a jealous ex orchestrated a hit on her romantic rival. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/kendra-hatcher-brenda-delgado-dallas-dentist-murder/
