Prosecutors: Harris woman shot man during foreplay Prosecutors: Woman shot man during foreplay

Deborah Yvette Parker is accused of shooting her common-law husband, Broderick Craig Crachian. Deborah Yvette Parker is accused of shooting her common-law husband, Broderick Craig Crachian. Photo: Harris County Sheriff's Office Photo: Harris County Sheriff's Office Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Prosecutors: Harris woman shot man during foreplay 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A woman accused in the shooting death of her common-law husband told police her gun accidentally fired while they were playing a game of “dirty cowboy” during sexual foreplay, a Harris County prosecutor said.

Deborah Yvette Parker, 38, is charged with manslaughter and being a felon in possession of a firearm, court records show. She remains in the Harris County Jail on bail totaling $60,000.

Parker is accused of recklessly causing the death of her longtime companion, Broderick Craig Crachian, 58, at the couple’s apartment in the 2700 block of Lorraine on June 30.

Crachian was shot in the chest, the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office said. His death was ruled a homicide.

Parker is “extremely distraught” by Crachian’s death and has fully cooperated with Houston homicide investigators, her attorney said.

“She loves him, and this is just a terrible accident,” said Parker’s court-appointed attorney, Murray Newman. “My understanding is she was 100 percent cooperative with the police and very forthcoming in everything that she told them.”

Parker called 911 after the shooting occurred, Newman said.

Parker made a statement that she accidentally shot Crachian during sexual foreplay, said prosecutor Marcy McCorvey.

“She describes it as playing ‘dirty cowboy,’ ” McCorvey said. “She did admit to being in possession of the handgun and using it as a toy during foreplay with the victim’s acquiescence and request for it to be used in that manner.”

Both McCorvey and Newman declined to elaborate on the type of foreplay the couple was engaged in or what “dirty cowboy” meant. Newman declined to say if the couple had played the game before.

A heated argument

Houston Police Department homicide investigators who worked the case were not available for comment Thursday but previously said in a news release that other residents at the couple’s apartment complex saw Parker and Crachian having a heated argument in the street several hours before the shooting.

After the argument was subdued, the couple returned to their apartment. Several hours later, Parker went to another apartment, frantically yelling that Crachian had been shot, police said.

Parker also is accused of illegally possessing the gun after being convicted of the felony offense of prostitution in 2007 because she was caught with the weapon before the fifth anniversary of her release from prison for that conviction, court papers show.

Parker also has convictions for promoting prostitution, drug offenses and misdemeanor assault, Harris County court records show.

peggy.ohare@chron.com