New clues emerge after Aussie dad murdered in Texas
Sheriffs hunting the violent intruders who broke into Australian dad Brenton Estorffe's Texas home and shot him dead have released a surveillance photo of a possible getaway car.
An emotional Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls also gave descriptions on Friday (local time) of the two men who smashed a glass window just after midnight on Wednesday (local time) at the rear of Mr Estorffe's home in the quiet neighbourhood of Katy, near Houston.
Sheriff Nehls and his investigative team are desperate to capture those behind an attack that left Mr Estorffe's wife Angeleanna a widow and their one-year-old and three-year-old children without a dad.
"They are going to pay for this, they came into the wrong community," Sheriff Nehls told media at a press conference.
The sheriff said there have been seven homicides in the county this year and six were solved.
A photo of a light-coloured four-door sedan with what is believed to be a sunroof was captured on a residential surveillance camera just before the shooting, and shown leaving just after shots were fired.
Further analysis is under way to determine the car's make and model.
Sheriff Nehls described one intruder as possibly having dark-coloured skin, about 180cm tall, of medium build and wearing a dark-coloured hoodie.
The second intruder had dark-coloured skin, a slim build, a buzz haircut and was around 182cm tall.
A $36,500 reward has been offered for information leading to the men's capture.
Sheriff Nehls also raised the possibility of a third accomplice, possibly a getaway driver, or more offenders at the home.
Why the intruders targeted the Estorffes remains a mystery, and investigators are considering if it was a case of mistaken identity.
The family's cars were in the driveway and the house had exterior Halloween decorations.
"Anybody would know there is obviously children in that house," the sheriff said.
"You could almost make the safe assumption these individuals knew someone was at home but they still had the audacity to break a window and enter the home.”
The Estorffes only moved into the house six months ago and investigators are looking into who lived there previously to determine if the intruders mistakenly targeted the wrong people.
Sheriff Nehls said it appears the intruders made a hole in a fence to gain access to the rear of the house and in the darkness smashed a window to gain access.
Mr Estorffe confronted the men and was shot.
Sheriff Nehls praised the father's bravery while Mike Estorffe, Brenton’s father, called his son a hero.
"He was the one that fought off the intruders, he fought two of them away to protect his wife and kids and unfortunately he passed away doing it," he said.
"He gave his life in defence of his family, what more honour can you bestow on an individual than that," the sheriff said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for Mr Estorffe's widow and children.
Estorffe, 29, was formerly from Mooloolaba on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
He moved to the US in 2011 to play American football and study at South Virginia University, and had been working for the Enterprise car rental company in Texas.
Sheriff Nehls said his detectives are emotionally motivated to solve the crime.
"You have young detectives that have family of their own walk into a residence and see the pictures on the walls of a young father, pictures of his children," he said.
"You can see the love he has for his family.”
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