Ex-husband, 44, of Texas realtor, 37, who went missing just before Hurricane Harvey is charged with MURDER after she disappeared on the way to his home to pick up her children
- Steven McDowell, 44, was arrested for allegedly killing his ex-wife
- Crystal McDowell's remains were found in a wooded area in Chambers County
- She vanished on August 25, a day before Hurricane Harvey hit Houston
- Police said at the time she was not one of the storm's victims and foul play was involved
- She had left her boyfriend's home and was on her way to her ex-husband's house to collect her children but never showed up
- The next day, her uncle reported her missing as the storm pounded Houston
- Four days after she vanished, Crystal's Mercedes was found in the flooded parking lot of a Motel 6
The ex-husband of a realtor who went missing just before Hurricane Harvey hit Houston has been charged with her murder.
Steven McDowell, 44, was taken into custody and arraigned on homicide charges on Saturday after the body of Crystal Seratte McDowell, 37, was discovered in a wooded area in Chambers County.
Chambers County Sheriff’s Office said it had nine persons of interest before finally arresting Steven McDowell over the weekend, according to local affiliate ABC NEWS 13.
Crystal McDowell was last heard from on August 25 when she left her boyfriend's home to go to collect her children from her ex-husband in Houston.
She never showed up and later missed several business appointments, prompting her uncle to report her missing on August 26.
Steven McDowell, 44, was arrested in the death of his 37-year old ex-wife, Crystal Seratte
Four days after vanishing, the woman's Mercedes was found submerged in flood water in the parking lot of a Motel 6.
It was recognized by someone who had seen her family's frantic social media appeals to find her.
Crystal McDowell's remains were discovered more than 20 miles away from her vehicle.
Two weeks after she first disappeared, Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne told ABC News that 'Hurricane Harvey is not the reason Crystal McDowell is missing.'
Crystal said she was on her way to her ex-husband Steve McDowell's home to collect their children, five and eight
Crystal McDowell, 37, went missing on August 25, a day before Hurricane Harvey hit
She was last heard from on August 25 when she left her boyfriend's home to go to collect her children from her ex-husband in Houston
Now, nearly two weeks after she first disappeared, Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne told ABC News 'Hurricane Harvey is not the reason Crystal McDowell is missing'
McDowell has two children, five and eight, with Steve.
At the time, Steve claimed she never showed up at his house to collect the children.
He also said he received a text message from her before she was due to arrive in which she described plans to take the children to Dallas to ride out the storm.
Sheriffs later found a black bag containing her business paperwork at Steve's house.
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A Former FBI agent said that when dealing with this kind of case, police usually look at a few different things.
'One thing is the immediate circle of people around them, an ex husband, former employee,' he told ABC. 'Then you have to come up with a timeline.'
According to her uncle, McDowell recently started working with him in real estate, and everything was falling into place.
'She said herself she was the happiest she had ever been in her life,' Jeff Walters said, adding that he is like a second mother to the missing woman.
Her parents died when she was 11, and after that she lived with him.
Additionally, in the days before her disappearance, Crystal made teasing reference to a happy new life on social media.
On August 29, her car was found submerged in flood water at a Motel 6 in Houston but she was nowhere to be seen
She is seen leaving his house on surveillance cameras inside the home. Circled is the black bag she was carrying
Crystal's uncle Jeff Walters raised Crystal McDowell after both of her parents died when she was 11
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