Murder Under the Friday Night Lights is investigating the attempted murder of high school football coach Gary Joe Kinne by irate parent Jeffrey Doyle Robertson in Canton, Texas.
On April 7, 2005, 44-year-old Robertson entered the fieldhouse of the Canton High School, armed with an AK-47, and gunned down Kinne as he spoke on the phone with another football coach from a different school.
Kinne was hit in the chest and transported to a nearby hospital, where he was given a 10% chance of survival. The coach underwent multiple surgeries to repair his liver and remove the bullet which had become lodged in his back.
Amazingly, Coach Kinne survived the ordeal and was back on the sidelines within a year.
Immediately after the shooting, Robertson fled the scene in a pickup truck and disappeared into the woods. The cops discovered his abandoned truck near a golf course and eventually found him hiding in the woods.
Robertson was taken into custody on a stretcher after he reportedly slashed his wrists.
Jeff Robertson allegedly shot GJ Kinne because he thought his son was mistreated
The cops learned from the Canton community that Robertson was known as a highly-strung, hot-headed individual who often lost his temper with others.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelRobertson had a problem with Kinne and the school football team. He was convinced that his son was being poorly treated by Kinne and his teammates. The shooter was angry that his son was not picked for a game, and he accused the other kids of bullying him.
On at least one occasion, Robertson had threatened the other children on the team and had gotten physical with an assistant coach when they intervened to protect the kids. He was banned from the school campus following that incident.
Friends of Robertson told the investigators that the shooter had claimed he was dying but that he wanted to “settle some scores” before he died. Kinne was one of the scores he intended to settle.
Residents of the Canton community spoke about how Coach Kinne had ruffled a few feathers and made some controversial decisions when he first arrived. His calls had upset some parents and players but had ultimately paid off as the team began playing better.
Jeffrey Doyle Robertson sentenced to 20 years for shooting Gary Joseph Kinne
Ultimately, Robertson was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to 20 years.
At the sentencing, Kinne told his attempted murderer, “That event changed a lot of people’s lives, your family and mine. It’s brought my family closer together. We realize what’s important. And somehow, in your sentence, I hope you find peace.”
Murder Under the Friday Night Lights airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery.