Murder and Homicide

2012 Houston Murder Numbers Up Slightly from 2011 But Still "Very Low"

According to statistics from the Houston Police Department, there were 216 murders in Houston in 2012, which is 18 more than we had in 2011, but still the second lowest number of murders in our city since 1966, continuing what officials don't want to suggest might be a trend given how unpredictable ... More >>

Corey Hayes, 22, Shot Dead by Reserve Deputy: Bayou Body Count No. 189

Houston police are investigating the death of a 22-year-old man who was shot to death by an off duty Harris County sheriff's reserve deputy after he fought with relatives and then forced his way into the deputy's nearby apartment. The fatal shooting occurred just after 6 p.m. on Thursday, Novembe ... More >>

Cedric Keith Jones Charged With Murder in Dwayne Mitchell's Death

Forty-year-old Cedric Keith Jones has been charged with murder and aggravated assault, accused in the killing of Dwayne Mitchell, 26, and wounding of Gilbert Mitchell, 23, on August 31. The shooting occurred at 406 East 43rd Street in Houston at 8:20 p.m. that day.

Ceceilia Sanders, 27, Bayou Body Count No. 116

A woman was stabbed to death in her apartment near her two small children a little after midnight Monday, and a man has been charged with murder. Ceceilia Sanders, 27, was found in her apartment in the 5600 block of Yale, stabbed several times. Two children, ages three and eight months old, were ne ... More >>

Friends Can Also Betray You

Mexicans pay in blood for America's War on Drugs.

Toyurean Young, 20, Bayou Body Count No. 58

Police are searching for a man charged with murder in connection with a shooting in the 10700 block of Beechnut Friday night. The suspect, 19-year-old Jordan Q. Wilson, has been charged with murdering Toyurean Young, 20, as part of an ongoing dispute between the two. "Wilson approached Mr. Young, ... More >>

Unidentified Male, Bayou Body Count No. 32

An early-hours argument led to a fatal shooting in a northwest side apartment Sunday, Houston police say. Rodney Wayne Allen, 21, has been charged with murder in the incident, which happened about 5 a.m. in the 5700 block of Guhn. Police say Allen was visiting the victim's apartment when he began ... More >>

Unidentified Male, 51, Who "Fell on His Knife," Bayou Body Count No. 28

A man has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of his roommate, even though he told cops "the victim fell on his knife during an argument." Hilario Soliz, 44, has been charged with the murder of a 51-year-old man whose name has not been released. The incident happened about 5:15 a.m. Frid ... More >>

Markayle D. Mosley, 22, Bayou Body Count No. 16

Gunned down in an apartment complex.​A man was shot to death in an apartment complex near Hobby Airport Friday, police say. Markayle D. Mosley, 22, was shot about 5 p.m. in the Crestmont Village Apartments in the 5600 block of Selinsky, HPD says. Their official information is short and sweet ... More >>

Brandon Larue Jackson: Serious About Face Ink, Charged with Murder

There is commitment to your tats and then there is COMMITMENT! In the case of Brandon Larue Jackson, the man is serious when it comes to his ink. Unfortunately, he is also being accused of the shooting death of Casey D. Read on July 7, 2010. The 26-year-old Jackson was already in jail on an unrelat ... More >>

Reginald Eaglin Charged in Death of Montrose Salon Owner

Reginald Eaglin​We reported to you this morning that Scott Ellis Childress, 46, had been beaten to death over the weekend at his Montrose-area salon. According to a media report, Reginald Elgin has been charged with murder in the death of Childress. According to police reports, Childress and ... More >>

Michael Ray Cooper, 28, Bayou Body Count No. 8

Shot to death by a visitor​A man was shot to death in his Sunnyside home Sunday evening, police say. Michael Ray Cooper, 28, had a visitor to his home in the 3600 block of Bloomfield about noon Sunday. "At some point during the visit, the suspect shot and killed Cooper," HPD says. "After the ... More >>

Margaret Marie Gage, 82, Beaten to Death in Home Invasion, Bayou Body Count No. 5

An 82-year-old woman was beaten to death as part of a robbery in a quiet southwest-side neighborhood last night, Houston police said. Margaret Marie Gage, 82, was at home in the 5700 block of Sanford in Westbury when her husband opened the back door about 8:45 p.m. to let out their dog, police say. ... More >>

Unidentified Male Shot at Club, Bayou Body Count No. 195

Dead in a westside restaurant/club.​Homicide police are investigating the death of a man found shot to death at a westside restaurant and club last week. The man, whose identity has not been released pending notification to family members, was shot in Clayton's Restaurant and Club in the 190 ... More >>

Phillip Little: Four Arrested in Domino's Driver's Murder

Timothy Robinson and three others face capital murder charges.​Four people -- including a 15-year-old girl -- have been arrested for the November 2 murder of Domino's Pizza driver Phillip Little, Houston police said today. Little was shot in a robbery attempt near the intersection of Martin L ... More >>

Are Police Downplaying Sexual Assault in the Third Ward?

Photo by Mandy OaklanderCouncilmembers Wanda Adams and C.O. Bradford called for more transparency last night with HPD.​When Third Ward activists get together with HPD, the results aren't usually rosy. But last night's standing-room-only meeting of the Positive Interaction Program (PIP), which ... More >>

Alicia Saldana Gonzalez, 36, Bayou Body Count No. 73

HPDJesus Gonzales: Charged with murder​An argument between a husband and wife ended when he stabbed her to death on the porch of their east side home Thursday night. The couple's three children were at home and might have witnessed the incident. Alicia Saldana Gonzalez, 36, was stabbed multip ... More >>

Unidentified Homeless Man, Bayou Body Count No. 71

Found shot to death in the bayou​Houston homicide detectives are asking the public's help in identifying a homeless man whose body was found in Buffalo Bayou downtown Saturday morning. The man had apparently suffered gunshot wounds, HPD said. The body was found near the 700 block of Franklin ... More >>

Unidentified Man in His 20s, Bayou Body Count No. 72

Body found in a city park.​Police discovered the body of a man reportedly stabbed to death in a park near downtown this morning. The man, who has not been identified, was in his 20s, police say. KPRC reports the man was stabbed to death. The body was found about 4 a.m. today in Emancipation ... More >>

Keith Monteds Brown, 40, Bayou Body Count No. 67

Gunned down at home​A man answered a knock on the door at his south Houston home last night and was shot to death, police say. Keith Monteds Brown, 40, was in his home in the 4200 block of Groton around 9 p.m. last night when he answered the door, HPD says. He was then gunned down and pronou ... More >>

Victor Ramirez, 43, Bayou Body Count No. 60

HPDPedro Rodriguez: Wanted for murder.​A northwest side man shot his three neighbors in an argument and killed one of them on May 2, Houston police said. He was charged with murder over the weekend and is on the run. Victor Ramirez, 43, was shot and killed in front of his home in the 7500 blo ... More >>

Jim Andrew Lee, 58, Bayou Body Count No. 44

HPDAntone Richie: Homeless and wanted by police​A homeless man has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of a security guard, police say. Antone Richie, 53, is still on the run. He is wanted for the murder of Jim Andrew Lee, 58. Lee was a security guard at an office building in the ... More >>

Divis Garcia Ordonez, Antonio Leon: Escaped to Honduras After West Bellfort Murders, HPD Says

HPDDivis Ordonez: On the run.​Two men who have been charged with a pair of murders at a West Bellfort apartment complex this month are believed to have escaped to Honduras, Houston police say. Divis Garcia Ordonez, 24, and Antonio Leon, 21, who also goes by George Celaya, are each charged wit ... More >>

Unidentified Males, Bayou Body Count No. 36 and 37

Two men shot dead.​Two unidentified men were shot dead around 2 a.m. Sunday, March 20 at 6200 West Bellfort. Police report the victims were in the parking lot of an apartment complex waiting for the suspect to return a phone to him. The phone was found at a convenience story in the 11100 bloc ... More >>

Robert Anthony Realyvasquez, 19, Bayou Body Count No. 27

HPDDavid Garcia, charged with murder​A 19-year-old man is dead after being shot several times in the head at a northside apartment complex early Saturday morning, police say. Robert Anthony Realyvasquez, 19, of Tomball, died after David Garza, 20, pulled up to him as he was stopped at the com ... More >>

Unidentified Female, One Month Old, Bayou Body Count No. 22

HPDMilton Rolando Paz, accused of murdering an infant​Capital murder charges have been filed against the father of a one-month old baby girl who died Monday morning, police say. Milton Rolando Paz, 25, was arrested in connection with the incident that happened in the 3900 block of Arlington ... More >>

Unidentified Male, Bayou Body Count No. 16

HPDAngel Cantu, charged with murder and on the run​A man tried to escape a beating at his house by jumping out the window, but instead was stabbed to death, Sunday morning, Houston police say. Murder charges have been filed against Angel F. Cantu, 19, who is currently on the run. The name of ... More >>

Maria Escamilla, 51, Bayou Body Count No. 8

Photo courtesy HPDJose Guerrero, charged with murder​A woman was killed on the southeast side and an arrest has been made in the case, Houston police say. Maria Escamilla, 51, was found dead from a gunshot wound inside a building in the 3000 block of Broadway about 10:45 p.m. January 8, HPD s ... More >>

Unidentified Male, 24, Bayou Body Count No. 1

A stabbing death kicks off 2011​A man came home to his southwest side apartment and discovered his roommate had been stabbed to death, police say. The name of the victim, 24, has not been released pending notification of family members. His roommate returned to their apartment in the 9400 bl ... More >>

Justin Aaron Conrad, 27, Bayou Body Count No. 300

Photo courtesy HPDEric Cooper, charged with murder​A murder in a northwest side record store was likely drug-related, police say. Justin Aaron Conrad, 27, was killed in a shootout at the Urban Soundz store in the 8600 block of North Houston Rosslyn about 6:40 p.m. Thursday, HPD says. Eric Co ... More >>

Aileen Willis, 90, Bayou Body Count No. 248

Quincy Lee Johnson, Jr.: Strangled his 90-year-old great-grandmother, police say​Capital murder charges have been filed against the great-grandson of a 90-year-old woman found strangled to death on the west side, police say.Quincy Lee Johnson, Jr., 17, has been charged with murdering Aileen Willis ... More >>

Cesar Manuel Cazares: Nabbed For A Stabbing Death 21 Years Later

A 2009 kidnapping case breaks a 1989 murder​Score one for the cold-case squad at the Houston Police Department -- they've announced the arrest of a man suspected of stabbing a romantic rival to death 21 years ago.Cesar Manual Cazares, 42, is accused of killing Leonides Ponce, then 27, back i ... More >>

Unidentified Woman and Unidentified Man, Bayou Body Count Nos. 88 and 89

​Police say robbery could be a motive in the slaying of a married couple in Southwest Houston yesterday. The 42-year-old man and his 39-year-old wife were found bound with duct tape and shot to death in their partially ransacked home in the 11500 block of Keegan's Ridge, near West Bellfort an ... More >>

Bayou Body Count: Burning Down The House

​There's the guy who allegedly drove over a woman and then there's the fellow who allegedly shot three dudes and burned the house down.Yes, these are just a few of the many murders that the hard-working Houston homicide detectives have ostensibly solved over the past week. It started out as jus ... More >>

Bayou Body Count: A Hatchet Man And A Cold Case

courtesy of HPDMelchor Izquierdo​There is a hatchet-man killer hiding in Houston. The cops know who he is, but not where to find him.Police are hunting for Melchor Izquierdo, 29, charged with murder in the slaying of Estevan Tellez back on September 14. Tellez, 42, who worked at a foundation busin ... More >>

Bayou Body Count: Sometimes The Cases Are Easy, Sometimes Not

courtesy of HCSOSandra Martinez​It may seem like it sometimes, but not all murders in Houston go unsolved.Take, for instance, a case last Friday inside a home at 10727 Lumber Ridge Trail. Sandra Martinez and her husband, Cesar Barrera, had been arguing most of the night when at about 9:30 p.m. Bar ... More >>

The Chevy Cobalt: Not So Safe After All

There's nothing wrong with the Chevy Cobalt. It's an affordable little car that gets pretty good gas mileage on the highway, but is it really worth killing over? According to Houston police, the answer appears to be yes. Huu Khanh Phung, 55, was in his silver-colored Cobalt near the intersectio ... More >>

Bayou Body Count: Death Doesn't Take A Holiday

Unfortunately, murder doesn't recognize holiday weekends, as evidenced by the following homicide investigations recently opened by area law enforcement.A man was killed following a shootout with Humble police late this morning. Details are limited, but the incident occurred outside an employment off ... More >>

J.T. Ellison and Laura Bendict

There’s a double-header of thrillers at this signing/reading

Rap-a-Lot’s J. Prince Sues Apple, BET

The Devil You Say

Was Jeffery Prible the cold-blooded murderer of an entire family? Or the gullible target of an opportunistic jailhouse informant?

The Private Trial of Donald Davis

A Houston attorney who specialized in saving killers' lives couldn't handle his own. So he took it.

Waldhauser Watch

A story about the new life and old ways of a notorious killer spurs indictments and national coverage

Killer On The Loose

Was Walter Waldhauser/ Michael Davis tipped about his latest arrest warrants?

News of the Weird

Heartburn Can Be Murder

A body may soon be unburied in the bizarre Basso case

Blood Sport

In the dogfight business, pit bulls get killed all the time. Sometimes, so do people.

Gayland's Choice

Gayland Randle was there the night Paul Broussard was murdered, but he never laid a hand on the victim. So why is Randle doing 15 years in prison?

Blood Feud

The head of the ME's DNA lab says prosecutors are trying to discredit her for failing to be a "team player"

Crime & Punishment

Ten years ago, Anthony Ray Westley entered a bait shop to commit a crime. Was it a crime worth dying for?