Found Deceased TX - Crystal Seratte McDowell, 38, Baytown, 25 Aug 2017 #1 *Arrest*

[JetsFan24]

I'm a bit new to this community and reading about missing persons cases. But there seems to be an overwhelming amount of women in the 30-45 age range going missing with implications of family members being responsible.

Has it always been like this? It's disheartening for sure especially since family members seem to be involved in a long of these cases.

 

[pamelado2]

IMO, it should be the investigators decision on what to cut out and what to keep, not the BFs decision. That is why the investigators want the server in order to validate the time stamps and to validate that nothing has been altered or purposely left out.

Of course, it should but I'm just saying why I think the investigators ended up with stills. If his cameras record 24/7 there may have been some very private things on that video. He shared the stills with the Uncle and media and the investigators. Maybe he didn't want anyone to see that until LE told him specifically that they wanted it.

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[cluciano63]

Sadly, it often is a spouse or partner who is responsible for a woman going missing.

It is terrible to think that a perhaps poor choice of a new boyfriend or even a spouse could result in death yet we see it far too often. I skated on thin ice before my marraige in my thirties with some real psychos. I was lucky to get free of them without physical harm. I would rather Crystal be a tragic victim of the storm, if she is not coming home.

 

[Remainanonymous]

I'm confused as to why all news reports are still saying she was planning on heading to Dallas....as if that was the last info from her on her plans. In texts to both the ex and the bf... she made it clear her plan had changed and she wasn't going to Dallas. To the ex she texted .."It looks like I may stay here with the kids just seems like rain." And to the BF she texted: "I may end up taking them out if they want to go somewhere."

I have a problem with the text to the husband though. She says "just seems like rain." But she's a smart girl, she knows the hurricane hasn't even made landfall yet. Would she really base her plans off the current weather situation and not off of what was being predicted for that area? And by "stay here" did she mean stay at his house?

Also, was BF also planning on going to Dallas? Were they gonna be there together? Did she change her mind and upset him? Did she tell him she was gonna stay at Ex's house?? Thoughts running wild here. What are yalls thoughts?

 

[SuperTmo]

Police don't have to be called in order for someone to live in an abusive relationship. I'm not sure why that's the decision maker for anyone. Also, she may have lived there because he threatened her or the kids if she left.
He didn't call the police and he was expecting her. The uncle did because she told her uncle what the ex said. He immediately realized the ex story made no sense and called police.

Thank you for saying this. I'm super late and trying to get caught up (I actually accomplished things today but now I'm behind!) but I'm surprised anyone would think no police reports means the relationship couldn't have been abusive. I would venture to say most abuse victims never call the cops, but I don't have stats to back that up.

We don't know him. All we know of him is he presented himself as still happily married and he wasn't. Her uncle said he threatened her, and since when is threatening someone or intimidating them to make them stay with you not abuse? Maybe not physical abuse, but it sure as heck is abusive.

We don't know Crystal. All we really know about her is she is a mom who seems like a kind person, who perhaps had a lot of stuff going on relationship wise. And now she is gone and nobody can find her.

I don't trust the ex. There is something about how he smiles in all his photos that makes me feel uneasy about him. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe the way he is looking at her in the photo of just them dressed up fancy.

 

[Sillybilly]

Folks, please read The Rules and post accordingly.

• Victim bashing is not allowed.

• Sleuthing family and persons not officially named POI or suspect is not allowed.

• Discussion of the occult, paranormal, all things magical or mystical is not allowed.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?159-The-Rules

 

[SuperTmo]

Does anyone know what the reward money totals now? With so many people in Houston suffering devastating losses of their homes and possessions due to the storm, perhaps a very attractive reward could motivate someone who knows something to speak up. Sorry if this has been discussed... I'm on pg 47 but just had this thought and wanted to ask before I forgot!

 

[JetsFan24]

Does anyone know what the reward money totals now? With so many people in Houston suffering devastating losses of their homes and possessions due to the storm, perhaps a very attractive reward could motivate someone who knows something to speak up. Sorry if this has been discussed... I'm on pg 47 but just had this thought and wanted to ask before I forgot!

Perhaps someone could contact JJ Watt with all the money they've raised for the victims? Crystal could be a victim herself.

 

[SuperTmo]

Perhaps someone could contact JJ Watt with all the money they've raised for the victims? Crystal could be a victim herself.

Is this the football player I've heard about? That is a good idea! Seriously, if I knew of a crime someone committed and then my house flooded and ruined all my stuff, bet your buns I'd turn them in for the reward money.

 

[SuperTmo]

I don't understand why, seems it's only inviting trouble. But I think I read somewhere that husband has custody of kids?? Has anyone else read that? Well if that's true...maybe she decided to live there so she could see the kids more. Also...i believe in some divorces.. rules can be set that say the parents must have a residence for the kids to be able to visit. Am I right or off on this?
By not having a residence yet, she may have not been able to have the kids overnight so she stayed there with the ex so that she could be with them overnight??

I think rule about having a residence just means they can't be homeless or couch surfing every night. It doesn't have to be her own place. A stable place to call home. That could mean living in a roommate situation or staying with family, as long as it's a safe place for the kids. She could have stayed with the Uncle and that would fit the rule.

 

[Seajay]

I'm still concerned about why EX never sent any follow up texts to her about why she didn't show up to get the kids. That is bizarre to me cuz according to the story, he would have been waiting around for her all day. Never a "where are you?" "What's taking so long?" "Are you okay?" Nothing. With a hurricane on its way. And then texts instead to tell her the dishwasher arrived? IMO

But then now you have BF talking about her in the past tense. That's weird, too. And to police, a statement like that is telling.

 

[Ruby3280]

The Motel 6 is 7 minutes from Ex's home.

 

[DatelineFan]

I don't understand why, seems it's only inviting trouble. But I think I read somewhere that husband has custody of kids?? Has anyone else read that? Well if that's true...maybe she decided to live there so she could see the kids more. Also...i believe in some divorces.. rules can be set that say the parents must have a residence for the kids to be able to visit. Am I right or off on this?
By not having a residence yet, she may have not been able to have the kids overnight so she stayed there with the ex so that she could be with them overnight??

If he did, in fact, have custody, and she lived elsewhere, wouldn't she be on the hook for child support?

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[robertjacksonjr]

Question: Is it possible that the BF could change timestamp (date and time) on the surveillance video? I know nothing about home surveillance and who would have access to the system.

Most current security systems are cloud based. With cloud storage, the footage either event-based or continuous is sent off to remote servers. Security companies such as Vivint do the same thing with the video.

 

[Ruby3280]

Can someone put together a Timeline?

[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thursday, Aug 24th[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1) It is safe to assume Crystal was spending the night at the boyfriends based on ex texting Crystal and telling her "Maui (is this her daughter?) was hoping to see her before she fell asleep".
***Boyfriend has confirmed that she stayed with him that night.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2) Crystal texts ex back and says she will see them in the am and keep them in Dallas
Friday, Aug 25th
LET'S START WITH TEXTS TO EX
7:01 am
1) Crystal texts her ex and says she is on her way and asks if he has water, then adds that she may just stay here (guessing that means in town) since it's just rain.
**This shows her plans to go to Dallas changed from the night before.
**It also shows that the plan is still for her to go pick up the kids from the ex's home.
2) Ex responds "No Water"
**It shows Crystal read that response
QUESTION: How long is drive from boyfriend to ex's home?
8:03 am (1 hour later)
1) Ex texts and asks Crystal how much longer
***Does not show as read by Crystal
2) Ex then tells her to go pick up the kids at PBP.
***Does not show as read by Crystal
QUESTION: Is PBP a daycare? Has it been verified that the children were there and if so what time were they dropped off and when were they picked up and by whom?
FACT: Sometime between 7:01 and 8:03 the ex changed plans on her and now the kids are no longer at the home since he has now instructed her to pick them up at PBP.
11:42 am (over 3.5 hours have passed since his last text to Crystal)
1) Ex texts Crystal and says "They finally delivered the dishwasher"
***Does not show as read by Crystal.
QUESTION: The kids were never picked up by Crystal at PBP. Why is he not asking her where she is at and why the kids have not been picked up yet? When did the kids get picked up at PBP?
TEXTS TO BOYFRIEND
Friday, Aug 25th
7:25 am
1) Crystal texts boyfriend and tells him there is no rain and that she may be taking them out today (assuming she is talking about the kids)
2) Crystal sends a pic of her billboard located over this Jewelry business. And tells him "he is sweet

<3"
3) Boyfriend responds "I love you and will always support you"
***text shows as read by Crystal.
1:00 pm
1) Boyfriend texts Crystal and says "just checking on you let me know if you need anything at all"
***text is not read by Crystal
8:45 pm
1) Boyfriend texts Crystal and says "I'm so worried about you, I tried calling but it went to vm..."
***text is not read by Crystal
She also sent her uncle a text of the same billboard around 7:15 am.
Her boyfriend made a comment on his wall that the last time she used her phone was around 11:30 am on Fri, Aug 25th.
Her cousin said that Crystal had replied "ok" to a text around 12:31 but isn't sure that was actually her that had responded to the text.
[/FONT]

 

[Ruby3280]

[FONT=&amp]Sorry double posted [/FONT]:facepalm:

 

[CaliSun]

I wonder if the boyfriend's wife has been checked out by LE.

Where did you find he is still married?

 

[Ruby3280]

I looked again with the street view of Google Earth using the main intersection down the road from the billboard and it definately looks as if she could have taken it sitting at the intersection an zooming in on photo. I don't think my theory but of her getting to take it stands anymore.

Question? The billboard in the evening pic shows the Robson Jewelers name appears to be lit. Could this be an indicator that this photo was taken in the evening?

 

[Hoosier952]

[FONT=&amp]
[/FONT][FONT=&amp]
QUESTION: Is PBP a daycare? Has it been verified that the children were there and if so what time were they dropped off and when were they picked up and by whom?
FACT: Sometime between 7:01 and 8:03 the ex changed plans on her and now the kids are no longer at the home since he has now instructed her to pick them up at PBP. [/FONT]

Snipped for space- PBP is where ex works.

It seems odd that Crystal used her phone at 11:30 but has 3 unread texts. I know my texts will stay unread as long as I don't click on the actual text itself, but it seems if she was so in love with BF, she would have responded to at least his texts.

It sure seems like something happened between 7:25 and 8. That's a pretty short window of time. However, the timing of her last phone use at 11:30 (if it was her) and the ex's text about the dishwasher is interesting to me, especially if there was never a switch from text to actual call somewhere between 7 and 7:25.

I just keep going around in circles here. I'm not following this on SM, so I'm probably missing out on a lot of critically important info, and way behind on everything.

 

[Sassygerl]

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