"They Came In With Their Rifles": Patrick Duffy, Dallas Star, Recalls His Parents' Murder

Forty years after the murder of his parents, Patrick Duffy, the unforgettable Bobby Ewing from Dallas, reflected on the tragedy that shook his life. Guest on the podcast Still Here Hollywood, the 77-year-old American actor recounted how his father and mother were shot dead in their own bar in November 1986 by two young men armed with hunting rifles. He also spoke about the moment he had to tell his two children about their death.

Two drunk men expelled from the bar, then returned with rifles

On November 18, 1986, Terrence and Marie Duffy ran an establishment in Boulder, Montana, USA. That evening, two 19-year-old young men, Sean Wentz and Kenneth Miller, had been expelled from the bar by Terrence Duffy after causing disturbances under the influence of alcohol.

But the two individuals decided to come back, this time armed. « It was very late. There was no one in the bar except my father and mother. And they came in with their rifles », Patrick Duffy told Steve Kmetko on the microphone.

According to testimonies presented at the trial, Terrence Duffy recognized the two men and approached them. He reportedly began to say to them: « I told you to… » before the gunshots rang out. The actor’s father was fatally wounded.

At the other end of the bar, Marie Duffy was busy doing crossword puzzles. Seeing her husband attacked, she rushed to him. The assailants also shot her dead.

The murderers emptied the cash register before fleeing

After killing the two owners, the attackers did not immediately flee. They jumped over the counter to steal money from the cash register and several bottles of alcohol before leaving the premises.

The two suspects were later arrested and charged with murder. Sean Wentz, identified as the shooter of the fatal shots, was sentenced to a very long prison term, as was his accomplice Kenneth Miller.

Both men have since been granted parole: Kenneth Miller in 2007 and Sean Wentz in 2015. Patrick Duffy was 37 years old at the time of his parents’ murder.

« They were both killed »: the terrible announcement to his children

The actor also recounted how he learned the news. It was his sister, herself a police officer, who contacted him the next morning to announce their parents’ death. Very quickly, journalists and television crews gathered in front of his home.

The company Lorimar, which was producing Dallas at the time, arranged his trip to Montana on a private plane. They also offered him the assistance of a press officer to handle media requests.

But before leaving, Patrick Duffy had to accomplish a particularly painful task: telling his sons Padraic, 11, and Conor, 6, that their grandparents had just been murdered.

« They were getting up to go to school. I told the boys: ‘Padraic, Conor, we have to go home now. I’m going to recite mantras with you.’ », he recalled.

He then explained to them: « We have to recite mantras for grandma and grandpa because they were both killed. We have to do it for them because they will understand and hear. »

The two children agreed to participate in this family ritual, which they already regularly practiced with their father.

Buddhism, his refuge after the double murder

Patrick Duffy had already been practicing Buddhism for about fifteen years when his parents were murdered. In this interview, he explains that his faith helped him get through this ordeal and maintain a spiritual connection with them.

The actor says he continues to dedicate a thought to them during his two daily mantra recitation sessions. Nearly forty years after their death, Terrence and Marie Duffy thus remain present in his religious practice.

From Dallas to Step by Step, a career marked by personal tragedies

Revealed to the general public in 1978 thanks to his character Bobby Ewing in Dallas, Patrick Duffy became one of the most popular faces on American television. He notably shared the screen with Larry Hagman, who played J.R. Ewing, and Linda Gray, who portrayed Sue Ellen.

After Dallas, he found new success with the series Step by Step, in which he played Frank Lambert alongside Suzanne Somers, from 1991 to 1998.

His personal life was also marked by the death of his wife Carlyn Rosser in 2017, after more than 40 years of marriage. Since 2020, the actor has shared his life with actress Linda Purl.

In his interview with Steve Kmetko, Patrick Duffy also reflected on his friendship with Larry Hagman, who died in 2012, and on the last moments he spent with him in the hospital.