HUTCHINS, TX – Patricia Ruth Holt, 57, is facing a first-degree murder charge following the shooting death of her boss at a North Texas trucking yard in late July. Dallas County authorities said Holt is accused of fatally shooting Carl Joseph Donaldson, 47, during an altercation at the Hutchins Trucking Yard, where the two worked together.
The incident marks a dramatic turn for Holt, whose criminal history stretches back nearly four decades. In 1986, as an 18-year-old high school senior in Brooklyn, New York, Holt brought a loaded shotgun to school with the apparent intention of confronting a teacher. According to court documents from that time, Holt was disarmed by staff and eventually pleaded guilty to attempted assault, serving five years on probation.
Over the years, Holt moved to Florida and then North Carolina, eventually returning to the workforce. This June, she started driving trucks for the company in Hutchins. Yet, according to those familiar with the company, tension soon surfaced between Holt and management.
Donaldson’s widow described Holt as difficult from her very first week. She reportedly ignored instructions about truck safety and workplace rules, leading to heated arguments. The widow recalled intense disputes in the office, with Holt displaying open defiance and anger when confronted about her conduct on the road.
The situation escalated on the day of the shooting. Earlier in Waco, Holt allegedly had an argument with a customer. Management reportedly instructed her to either apologize and complete the delivery or unload the truck and leave it in Waco. Instead, authorities said, Holt returned to the trucking yard in Hutchins still visibly upset.
According to investigators, Holt drove her tractor-trailer erratically upon her return, allegedly circling the yard and attempting to strike Donaldson with the vehicle. Donaldson, a military veteran and Purple Heart recipient, attempted to calm the situation and climbed onto the truck to stop Holt. Witnesses reported hearing a gunshot before Donaldson was seen falling to the ground.
Authorities arrived quickly, but Holt did not surrender immediately. Deputies said she led them on a slow-speed pursuit before barricading herself inside the truck’s cab for nearly four hours. The standoff eventually ended when Holt surrendered just before 9 p.m.
During an interview with investigators, Holt allegedly expressed suicidal thoughts and suggested she had planned to target Donaldson for a period of time, despite only being with the company for about a month. Records indicate she claimed to have felt harassed at work.
Holt is currently being held in Dallas County Jail with bond set at $1 million. No trial date has been set.