Family remembers man killed in northwest Austin as “loving and kind”

Stephen “Steve” Peterman, a former U.S. Marine Corps first sergeant and the man killed Monday in northwest Austin, is remembered by his family as someone who had a servant’s heart and loved his family, his faith and his country.

“We want the world to know that he was a good, strong, solid man,” said his father, Ben Peterman. “He had no qualms about helping anyone who needed help. He will be missed. But I think that’s a good legacy to leave behind: that you are known for being helpful and a good person.”

Stephen Peterman, 49, was shot multiple times by a stranger outside his northwest Austin home around 4 a.m. on May 20 when he was walking his dog and noticed someone trying to break into his work truck, according to a copy of the indictment used to arrest William Jewel Daniels in connection with the killing.

Detective Jennifer Boland of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office noted in charging documents that Stephen Peterman’s wife said it was normal for him to walk the dog in the early morning hours.

His wife, Nona Peterman, told the sheriff’s office she was awakened by gunshots and then saw her husband was not in bed. When she went outside, she saw the dog sitting at the front door, charging documents say.

Using surveillance footage from a nearby residence, investigators heard Daniels, a 36-year-old from San Antonio, fire six shots and then flee in a vehicle with a license plate matching his. The sheriff’s office arrested Daniels about 12 hours after the shooting.

The sheriff’s office charged Daniels with murder and as of Thursday he remains in the Travis County Jail on $1 million bail.

A life in the service of people

Stephen Peterman was originally from Illinois and the older brother of two sisters. The son of a preacher, he lived in various places, Ben Peterman said.

Ben Peterman recalled his son’s “mischievous” behavior and described a situation in which Stephen Peterman, then in high school, fired fireworks rockets from a PVC pipe. Ben Peterman asked him to stop firing those fireworks into the street.

Stephen Peterman didn’t listen to his father and lit one up just as a UPS driver was driving by. The firework rocket flew right through the open doors of the delivery truck and right past the driver, narrowly missing him, his father recalled with a laugh as he told the story.

“We laughed about it later,” said Ben Peterman. “He had a good sense of humor. … I’ll miss that about him.”

Becky Peterman, his mother, said her son served in the U.S. Marine Corps for about 20 years, including three tours overseas, two of them during the Iraq War.

Both parents said he had always been interested in military history and read avidly about battles and wars, especially World War II. He joined the Marines immediately after graduating from high school in 1993.

The U.S. Marine Corps told the Statesman that Stephen Peterman was on active duty from 1993 to 2004. After leaving active duty, he joined the Marine Corps Reserve, where he served until 2016, when he was honorably discharged.

Stephen Peterman was deployed three times, once in 1999 to Kosovo, then in 2003 and again in 2007 to Iraq.

During his time in the Marines, he reached the rank of First Sergeant.

Stephen Peterman moved to Austin in 2018 for his job at a natural gas company. Becky Peterman said he loved animals and would keep cat food outside his house to feed the raccoons and opossums.

Stephen Peterman was a devout Christian, his parents said, and because of that faith he was always willing to help anyone who needed it.

“He tried to live his faith,” said Beth Peterman. “He was loving and kind. He was a servant. He loved to help other people.”

Stephen Peterman leaves behind a wife and 7-year-old son. Nona Peterman said she did not want to be interviewed for this article. She started a GoFundMe campaign to pay bills, as her husband was the family’s sole breadwinner and she was a stay-at-home mom.

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