Murdered Sam student had saved killer's life

An interesting twist in the story of Rachel Pendray, the 20-year-old Sam Houston State University student whose ex-boyfriend killed her Sunday before turning the gun on himself: About a month ago, Pendray had saved her killer's life when he tried to OD on pills.

KHOU talked to Linda Gonzales, the mother of Jake Taylor, Pendray's jilted ex. Gonzales said Taylor — who didn't attend Sam Houston, but had known Pendray since they attended high school together in Houston – got depressed earlier this year when his plans to make a career in baseball fell through. Taylor swallowed a lot of pills of some kind, then called Pendray; she called the police, who responded and saved Taylor. "She saved my son's life," Gonzales told Channel 11. "She's the one that called police and got them to come over here." She said she had just sent Pendray a card thanking her: "I sent her a Christmas card last night and wrote her a letter telling her what a special gift she had given me by calling the police and saving my son’s life ... I feel sad for Rachel. I feel sad for Rachel's family."

According to Pendray's roommates, Taylor showed up at their Huntsville apartment at about 11 p.m. Sunday. He and Pendray went into another room to talk; there were no sounds of fighting or a struggle, but after a few minutes, the roommates heard four or five shots. When police arrived, they found both Pendray and Taylor dead.