Family members desperate for answers on father found dead in trunk at west Houston office building

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The death of a 34-year-old father of two has his family searching for answers.

On March 11, Samuel Custard's body was found in the back of his hatchback car, parked in the parking garage of a west Houston office building. He was last seen on Feb. 28.

Now, Custard's family says they believe there is foul play involved in his death.

"He's been getting his life right, taking care of his sons," his sister, Joya Narcisse, said after flying from out of state to help their family find answers. "I just want justice for my brother."

"The (police) said it was a homicide, and now they backed off of it and said it's not a homicide," his mom, Joy Custard, said.

She says Houston police have told the family different things in the week since his body was found, and the whole family feels like there should be an active murder investigation.

"Why are we not getting direct updates," Charisse asked. "We have to drive all the way downtown just to get any type of answer. We haven't even seen his body. We can't even lay my brother to rest. How is it not a homicide? How is it a homicide? I can't get any answers."

Houston police told ABC13 the simple explanation is that because Custard's body was badly decomposed, it's taking a long time to conduct the autopsy. They can't rule anything out yet, but they also have no answers on how he died.

The delay is excruciating for the grieving family.

"I came from Colorado. I'm his family," his cousin, Anthony Duncan, said. "He speaks to me every day, literally every day. We don't miss each person's phone calls. If we do, we call each other the next day."

Late Tuesday afternoon, a manager with the office building where Custard's body was found told ABC13 it turned over surveillance video to police, showing Custard driving into the parking lot on Feb. 28, and never leaving.

The Houston Police Department says police are still investigating Custard's cause of death.

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