GUILTY TX - Melissa Sowders, 26, Harris County, 26 December 2013

[Fairy1]

Luckily, we seem to have another genius murderer here. Never ceases to amaze me.....

 

[sorrell skye]

Exactly. Once he started strangling her she would have dropped the gun. So why continue strangling her? I'm not even buying that she had a gun.

I'm not buying she had a gun, either.

Dude's already proven himself to be a liar, IMO, by telling HCSO investigators that Melissa left the apartment on Dec. 26 of her own volition "on foot" after being there for "30 minutes". According to the prosecutor on the raw video of the hearing, a witness reported to HCSO that she had observed what she believed to be the feet & lower legs of a female lying on the floor when she peered through the open doorway into the apartment. Dude also denied speaking to the same witness either at his apartment or on the phone.

http://www.khou.com/video/raw/Raw-S...appears-in-Harris-County-court-238593001.html

I don't believe a single word from his mouth.

Furthermore, since it's been reported in court by the prosecutor (see link above) that Melissa's body was found without pants, I'll speculate that she may also have been sexually assaulted during the course of being brutally murdered. Of course, the ME's report will either support that speculation or not.

 

[sorrell skye]

This has no sense. So he met with Melissa at Mcd, then took her to his flat, killed her (where were his children and his parents at the moment?), then nonchalantly opened the door for the female witness, allowing her to see Melissa's dead body lying in the plain view, and then he took the body and dumped it near the McD where everything started. Is he dumb, or what?

above BBM

Based on what I know about these types of murders and based on what Melissa's family/friends have reported, I think he's likely the jealous type, possessive, prone to rage, misogynistic, and yes - dumb.

 

[whakka]

To me, it sounds like he's trying to claim self-defense by alleging that Melissa pulled a gun on him.

If the phone call confession wasn't recorded, I smell a plea deal, as well.

i think that he said that she pulled a gun just to try to justify his actions to the 2 people he talked to (3 if you include that deputy). i doubt it was his big defense plan. he just killed his wife and then opened the door enough for a witness to see her body, he had to come up with something fast. and then the story just perpetuated itself thru the phone call and the trip to the persons house where he was wet with mud all over his truck.

as far as a plea deal, i doubt it. not with a deputy for a witness to the phone call (even if it somehow wasnt recorded, its a sheriffs deputys word), on top of everything the phone call described ending up being true. then the trip to the other informants place where the location of the body was learned, which turned out to be true. then you have to assume that forensics got some things that will tie him to the witnesses' story. phone records, cell tower triangulations, if she fought back she may even have skin under the nails, of course its all speculation, but the evidence is mounting, and the forensics havent even started yet. in a case with this huge of a profile, pregnant mom, double homicide, trying to cover it up, if the d.a. feels he/she will win in a trial, this guys not getting a plea deal.

btw at the very end of that probable cause hearing, he asked for a public defender. almost inaudible, but he definitely did. that is not good news for the defendants camp.

 

[JeannaT]

I'm a little surprised by his picture. I really expected a meek looking guy, based on those who supported him who seemed very shocked he could do this. Looking at his expression, I'm not the least bit surprised. HELLO, look at that guy!!

 

[Bracdeb]

I'm a little surprised by his picture. I really expected a meek looking guy, based on those who supported him who seemed very shocked he could do this. Looking at his expression, I'm not the least bit surprised. HELLO, look at that guy!!

I would say that looks are deceiving but in this case I would be wrong.

 

[cluciano63]

I doubt his version will hold much weight, unless it is verified that she often carried a gun and was liable to threaten with it. It is the most basic thing he could think of, IMO. And how does one strangle someone who has a gun pointing at you? If he disarmed her, he would have had no need to choke her to death. It doesn't make any sense at all.

 

[sorrell skye]

i think that he said that she pulled a gun just to try to justify his actions to the 2 people he talked to (3 if you include that deputy). i doubt it was his big defense plan. he just killed his wife and then opened the door enough for a witness to see her body, he had to come up with something fast. and then the story just perpetuated itself thru the phone call and the trip to the persons house where he was wet with mud all over his truck.

as far as a plea deal, i doubt it. not with a deputy for a witness to the phone call (even if it somehow wasnt recorded, its a sheriffs deputys word), on top of everything the phone call described ending up being true. then the trip to the other informants place where the location of the body was learned, which turned out to be true. then you have to assume that forensics got some things that will tie him to the witnesses' story. phone records, cell tower triangulations, if she fought back she may even have skin under the nails, of course its all speculation, but the evidence is mounting, and the forensics havent even started yet. in a case with this huge of a profile, pregnant mom, double homicide, trying to cover it up, if the d.a. feels he/she will win in a trial, this guys not getting a plea deal.

btw at the very end of that probable cause hearing, he asked for a public defender. almost inaudible, but he definitely did. that is not good news for the defendants camp.

The reasons you listed in your post & those listed in other posts are all good points as to why a plea deal may not be forthcoming, but you never know.

LE have processed his vehicle as well as Melissa's, so there's a good chance that forensic evidence was found in whichever one was used to transport her body to the creek (most likely his vehicle, since a witness reported that she observed mud on his). Add that to any other possible evidence (such as what you listed above), I have no doubt the case is strong.

I've followed/read about cases involving solid evidence, but the defendant offered to confess in exchange for the death penalty to be taken off the table. IME, prosecutors like a sure conviction versus a jury trial, even when there's hardcore, concrete evidence.

I think investigators have gathered a war chest full of evidence. But every prosecutor worth her/his salt knows that jury trials are always a gamble, despite the evidence.

 

[Bracdeb]

Above BBM

One would think that if consensual sex were occurring that, yes, the upper body clothing would have also been removed. IF any type of sexual act (consensual or forced) did, in fact, occur.

It's common in rape cases for only the clothing on the lower body to be removed, for painfully obvious reasons.

In my mind, the fact that Melissa was reportedly unclothed from the waist down indicates to me that she may have been sexually assaulted either before, during, or after being murdered.

I tend to agree with you on all points. "After" disgusts me.

 

[bwt42]

The reasons you listed in your post & those listed in other posts are all good points as to why a plea deal may not be forthcoming, but you never know.

LE have processed his vehicle as well as Melissa's, so there's a good chance that forensic evidence was found in whichever one was used to transport her body to the creek (most likely his vehicle, since a witness reported that she observed mud on his). Add that to any other possible evidence (such as what you listed above), I have no doubt the case is strong.

I've followed/read about cases involving solid evidence, but the defendant offered to confess in exchange for the death penalty to be taken off the table. IME, prosecutors like a sure conviction versus a jury trial, even when there's hardcore, concrete evidence.

I think investigators have gathered a war chest full of evidence. But every prosecutor worth her/his salt knows that jury trials are always a gamble, despite the evidence.

Plus there is the expense of a trial.

 

[Marg from Oz]

A rapist is only interested in taking the pants off. I think he may have heard that she was pregnant and he was going to show her who was in control. Maybe it all went hay wire at that time. Regarding blacking out. This seems to be the normal excuse. I have seen so many saying they blacked out and don't know how someone died. These people are usually fit and healthy. In all my long years on this earth I have never blacked out.

 

[Crosby87]

Maybe MS revealed all the details in the recorded phone convo he had with his friend? I'm guessing the police coached her on what to ask him.

About MS getting Melissa's phone, MS could have taken her phone into a bathroom and locked the door (I had a jealous ex that did that).

I guess we'll learn more when the conversation between Matt and his friend is released. I'm curious to know where Melissa's sister got her information from. It doesn't explain why MS was half-naked. I thought the intimate details of a crime couldn't be released to the public because it could taint the jury pool and perhaps prevent the defendant from getting a fair trial?

 

[sorrell skye]

IMO, she more than likely accompanied him to his apartment on the promise that she would be able to see her baby daughter, which I find much more believable than the suggestion that she went there to engage in sex with her estranged husband, of whom she was reportedly afraid.

Unfortunately, once she arrived, he had her exactly where he wanted her: under his control out of the public eye.

 

[Snoods]

IMO, she more than likely accompanied him to his apartment on the promise that she would be able to see her baby daughter, which I find much more believable than the suggestion that she went there to engage in sex with her estranged husband, of whom she was reportedly afraid.

Unfortunately, once she arrived, he had her exactly where he wanted her: under his control out of the public eye.

If he couldn't have her nobody could. Sigh. Yep, you're right. He was probably sweet talking her, making her feel like it would be okay. They had a ten year history together and four kids. I'm sure he knew just what to say to make her think she would be safe this one time. Especially with her daughter there.

And if anyone had a gun it was his gun that he pulled on her.

 

[whakka]

well if you search under the "criminal" tab here

you can enter the guys name in the defendant field

[format: lastname, firstname]

you can get some public info on him, and if you have an account you can click the "images" tab and see the actual charging instruments.

 

[SisterWolf]

Well, yes he murdered her and her unborn child but there's every reason to look into a rape charge as well. It certainly appears it was non-consensual given the pants being off and jacket still being on. If there's a way they could prove it, I'm sure they'd like to add that to the list of charges.

 

[Crosby87]

Where the witness saw Melissa’s body lying when Matt opened the door is where I think she was murdered. Because Melissa’s body was so close to the exit, I think she was trying to run out of the apartment but Matt caught her. MOO

 

[Houston Mom]

well if you search under the "criminal" tab here

you can enter the guys name in the defendant field

[format: lastname, firstname]

you can get some public info on him, and if you have an account you can click the "images" tab and see the actual charging instruments.

So from what I see he is being charged with murder of the fetus. I guess he cannot use self defense.

"CAPITAL MURDER-UNDER SIX YRS "

 

[Bracdeb]

The place of birth code is "NU" which is Nicaragua where his parents adopted him from when he was a small baby.

 

[Snoods]

So from what I see he is being charged with murder of the fetus. I guess he cannot use self defense.

"CAPITAL MURDER-UNDER SIX YRS "

I know it doesn't matter now, but did MS think he would send the police scrambling to Oklahoma to search for him because of his hastily updated FB status that he'd just moved there? :facepalm: He should of at least faux moved to a state without the death penalty.