Found Deceased TX - Crystal Seratte McDowell, 38, Baytown, 25 Aug 2017 #3 *Arrest*

[georgiajean]

No. The only convo we have seen between Crystal and Steve was from Thursday night into Friday. Crystal's last known (by us) sent or read message was prior to arriving at the house. We don't know what time Crystal arrived at the house. We do not know what time the murder happened.

I think the OP was referring to comments on CM's realtor page, where she answered questions about a listing after she went missing, on Saturday. There was speculation about who was making those posts.

 

[Jethro4WS]

did he turn over the 'actual' phone thread convo? That should be something LE asked for.

I believe the Sheriff said on one of the AB shows in talking about how cooperative Steve had been that he had given LE his phone. With the phone LE would have a forensic copy and be able to recover many items that were deleted (if any) providing that the phone had not been restored from a backup or factory reset - but even in those cases there would be things that could still be recovered and LE would also know if either had been done.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

Yes.

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/PE/htm/PE.19.htm



In Texas Murder is a felony of the first degree. The penalty is 5 to 99 years.
In Texas, the felony of the second degree, is called Manslaughter. The penalty is 2 to 20 years.

For what it is worth I think there will be a plea deal for Murder that would have a sentence on the high end of the Manslaughter range.

This sounds like a very probable scenario!

Charge him with murder one knowing a "heat of passion"-type defense would likely come into play (dragging Crystal's personal life into court and trying to prove how it inflamed him, etc.) at some point during trial.

I imagine that choking someone to death would be DIFFICULT to *disprove* malice aforethought. Putting your hands around someone's neck is one thing — spending several minutes squeezing the life out of them is quite another, especially when you make the effort to hide the crime and the corpse afterward. (And then point blame at someone else.)

All that said (and I'm no attorney, either), it makes sense that prosecutors would be willing to let him plea to a lesser felony (manslaughter). Especially knowing Texas has the third-highest death row population in the nation. I bet he would take the deal.

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/death-row-inmates-state-and-size-death-row-year




[emoji202]MOO

 

[SuperTmo]

This report is where they say the couple has lived here for the last 2 years. And they will be speaking with the neighbors on site at 6pm.
http://abc13.com/sheriff-baytown-realtor-was-strangled-in-living-room/2408125/

There is nothing about two years in the article, unless I missed it or they edited it. They got the house at the end of July, according to the deed. And apparently the kids teacher said they moved there this summer.

 

[Gardenista]

This sounds like a very probable scenario!

Charge him with murder one knowing a "heat of passion"-type defense would likely come into play (dragging Crystal's personal life into court and trying to prove how it inflamed him, etc.) at some point during trial.

I imagine that choking someone to death would be DIFFICULT to *disprove* malice aforethought. Putting your hands around someone's neck is one thing — spending several minutes squeezing the life out of them is quite another, especially when you make the effort to hide the crime and the corpse afterward. (And then point blame at someone else.)

All that said (and I'm no attorney, either), it makes sense that prosecutors would be willing to let him plea to a lesser felony (manslaughter). Especially knowing Texas has the third-highest death row population in the nation. I bet he would take the deal.

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/death-row-inmates-state-and-size-death-row-year




[emoji202]MOO

There is no heat of passion. He told her she would never leave him.

 

[Insomnia Momma]

Then they edited it because I copied and pasted the quote exactly as it was written.


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Up thread a poster said they updated it! I read that article 3 times trying to figure it out! LOL!

We need to put together a timeline as we can figure it out. A media thread would be good too if this went to trial. I have a feeling there won't be a trial though. JMO!

 

[georgiajean]

On CMs realtor page, July 17th, there's a posting about an open house, and in the comments, a picture of SM hosting the snack bar at the open house. Just thought that was interesting.

Is this another example of SM thinking he was making headway in winning her back, and CM trying not to hurt his feelings by including him?

I remember when I divorced, and my ex bought me tickets to a festival we had gone to many times. I didn't want to give him false impressions, so I gave the tickets to a mutual friend. My ex was so upset with me, which ended up validating my reason to not accept the tickets. He said it was bad enough to lose his wife, but he didn't want to lose his friend, too. I couldn't BE friends because I knew it would leave the door open which would end up hurting him even more. And it was painful for me to keep that hard line. Glad I did now, because it took years for him to stop being mad.... That just makes me wonder if CM couldn't stand to see him hurting (and I'm betting he could lay the puppydog sad eyes pretty good)....

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

There is no heat of passion. He told her she would never leave him.

That's my point, too. He intended to kill her.

However, we also know that reality doesn't mean his defense team won't use whatever they legally can to try to keep their client from being convicted of premeditated murder.


[emoji202]MOO

 

[SuperTmo]

There is no heat of passion. He told her she would never leave him.

There is no proof of that though, and I don't know that hearsay would be allowed in.

 

[SuperTmo]

I'm concerned with the sheriff saying how great the interviewers from the Texas Rangers were, and saying how they had to interview him many times. I won't be surprised if SM tries to recant his confession saying it was given while under stress or it was coerced out of him. Without the confession being admissible, him leading them to the body wouldn't be able to be used as evidence, right?

 

[Gooddeeds]

There is nothing about two years in the article, unless I missed it or they edited it. They got the house at the end of July, according to the deed. And apparently the kids teacher said they moved there this summer.

-The live pre-news of 'what's coming up at 6pm' the female reporter verbally reported they had lived *there* for 2 years. However on the 6pm live report she said 'several' years.

*There* is the townhouse featured in the story. The address number was visible '1318'.

 

[Insomnia Momma]

I'm concerned with the sheriff saying how great the interviewers from the Texas Rangers were, and saying how they had to interview him many times. I won't be surprised if SM tries to recant his confession saying it was given while under stress or it was coerced out of him. Without the confession being admissible, him leading them to the body wouldn't be able to be used as evidence, right?

I really hope that doesn't happen. If it does I pray that this sheriff (who in my opinion likes to blame the victim, is too sympathetic towards SM) is dotting all of his "i's" and crossing all of his "t's". They need to make sure that even if they believe they have a slam dunk plea deal that if needed they can nail his tush to the wall AND keep him there!

 

[pamelado2]

Per Deed. and legal description this is the home Sheriff Office went to and yep a 3 car garage .... Very easy to hide her car, if needed
View attachment 123062

What did they change the street name to?

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[SuperTmo]

-The live pre-news of 'what's coming up at 6pm' the female reporter verbally reported they had lived *there* for 2 years. However on the 6pm live report she said 'several' years.

*There* is the townhouse featured in the story. The address number was visible '1318'.

Ahh, I thought you meant the new house. My bad!

 

[LaneGirl]

There is nothing about two years in the article, unless I missed it or they edited it. They got the house at the end of July, according to the deed. And apparently the kids teacher said they moved there this summer.

One house purchased in July, one townhouse they've owed/lived for 2 or several years is my understanding.

 

[Gooddeeds]

100%

SM deciding when he wants to tell the truth is anything but cooperation. That is a 100% willful choice of manipulation and control. He is choosing to delay the state of limbo the victims are suffering from.

The sheriff speaks about the best interviewers?? That is another example of 'as per the Sheriff' subjectively narrates. Did anyone sense the Sheriff coddling SM in the court scene? It really makes me wonder if there is some kind of deal being made?! Like a book 'In the Chambers County...'

-100% Cooperation means 100% honesty to complete the task at hand. I don't see the difference. You are either helping or not. That makes no sense.

 

[SuperTmo]

I really hope that doesn't happen. If it does I pray that this sheriff (who in my opinion likes to blame the victim, is too sympathetic towards SM) is dotting all of his "i's" and crossing all of his "t's". They need to make sure that even if they believe they have a slam dunk plea deal that if needed they can nail his tush to the wall AND keep him there!

I mean, if he recanted and had the confession thrown out, what evidence would they have? It would be circumstantial such as him going to drop the car off and being on that video.

I wonder if he will get out on bail. I assume he will want to. I can't believe you can kill someone while your kids are home, confess and then get bail. Everyone says how tough Texas is on criminals and I'm not seeing it so far.

 

[Gooddeeds]

Ahh, I thought you meant the new house. My bad!

No problem! We are all trying to keep the real story straight. Team work is in action.

 

[SuperTmo]

This sounds like a very probable scenario!

Charge him with murder one knowing a "heat of passion"-type defense would likely come into play (dragging Crystal's personal life into court and trying to prove how it inflamed him, etc.) at some point during trial.

I imagine that choking someone to death would be DIFFICULT to *disprove* malice aforethought. Putting your hands around someone's neck is one thing — spending several minutes squeezing the life out of them is quite another, especially when you make the effort to hide the crime and the corpse afterward. (And then point blame at someone else.)

All that said (and I'm no attorney, either), it makes sense that prosecutors would be willing to let him plea to a lesser felony (manslaughter). Especially knowing Texas has the third-highest death row population in the nation. I bet he would take the deal.

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/death-row-inmates-state-and-size-death-row-year




[emoji202]MOO

This case isn't qualified for the death penalty as it is currently charged. It doesn't seem to fit the rules for a capital case.

 

[SuperTmo]

No problem! We are all trying to keep the real story straight. Team work is in action.

Haha, true! It wouldn't be so difficult if it seemed like the media and the sheriff were all telling the same story!