Alexis Sharkey: What we know happened before Houston influencer's death
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Alexis Sharkey, a 26-year-old Instagram influencer who moved to Houston in January, is being mourned by family and friends as they try to figure out what happened to her.
Sharkey was found dead on the side of a road on Nov. 28 in west Houston. But friends are providing more insight into fears she shared with them about a month before her death.
ABC13 had received several messages from concerned friends and viewers about Sharkey, who family members say went missing on Friday, Nov. 27.
While we continue to try to get answers from investigators about the questions surrounding Sharkey's final hours, here is what we know about the events leading up to her death.
Saturday, Nov. 28
Around 8 a.m., a City of Houston public works employee driving in the 1000 block of Red Haw, near the Katy Freeway and Eldridge Parkway, saw feet in the bushes, HPD detectives say.
That's when a naked woman's body was discovered. The woman, believed to be in her 20s, had no visible injuries.
Authorities said they believe her body had been there overnight.
At the time, it had not been confirmed by police that the woman was Sharkey.
ORIGINAL STORY: Naked woman found dead on side of road in west Houston
On this same day, Sharkey's mom, Stacey Robinault, posted on Facebook that Sharkey was missing. Robinault said she found out about Sharkey's disappearance through her son-in-law, Tom Sharkey.
Tom said he hadn't heard from her since Friday.
"We were notified on Saturday that she was missing by her husband," Robinault said. "(He) called us up to let us know, and that's when, of course, any parent goes into full panic mode."
Sunday, Nov. 29
Robinault first spoke to ABC13 on Sunday, saying that her daughter went missing two days prior.
Robinault, who lives in northwestern Pennsylvania, explained that she had not spoken with her daughter since just before Thanksgiving. She said the two were discussing Christmas plans on Wednesday.
Sadly by Sunday night, Robinault's worst fear came to pass. She posted again on Facebook, this time announcing that her daughter's body had been found.
She didn't say at the time where or how.
"It's with deeply broken hearts that Mike and I want to let you all know that Lexi's body has been found. We cannot begin to thank you all for your love and the kind words you've extended to our family!"
Tom Sharkey declined an interview with ABC13, but did post on Facebook Sunday about the news of his wife's death. As details developed in his wife's case, Tom took to social media to thank others for their help and support in the search for her.
RELATED: Houston influencer's husband mourns wife: 'I'm so lost right now
Monday, Nov. 30
Houston police confirmed Monday morning that the body found over the weekend was that of Sharkey.
Robinault spoke to ABC13 again, saying she believes her daughter was murdered.
"I do. I do believe she was murdered. Yes. From what I've been able to gather as well as a mother's gut. I learned very young as a mom to trust my gut. It's not let me down," said Robinault.
Robinault said her daughter had always wanted to see the world, describing her as someone who was health conscious and loved selling organic health care products. Sharkey graduated from college with a major in biology.
Sharkey was known as an Instagram influencer, with more than 20,000 followers on the platform. According to friends, she was a mentor with a hair and skincare company called Monat.
ABC13's Steve Campion did end up talking to Tom Sharkey, who sounded upset. He said he did everything in his power to find his wife, and asked Campion never to contact him again before hanging up.
INTERVIEW: "I do believe she was murdered:" Alexis Sharkey's mom on her death
Later Monday, ABC13 spoke to some of Sharkey's close friends, who revealed she mentioned fearing for her safety before she died.
The discussion between Sharkey and a friend happened about a month ago during their trip to Marfa, Texas.
"She confided in me that night ... she's petrified," a friend said. "This girl is scared for her life."
"She was a friend to literally all," another friend said. "Such a good person."
MORE: Houston influencer found dead was 'scared for her life' prior to death, friends say
Tuesday, Dec. 1
Tom Sharkey agreed to speak to ABC13's Steve Campion over the phone. Sharkey said that his wife wasn't always the happy person she portrayed on social media.
Sounding upset and emotionally distraught, he said he's been struggling.
Sharkey called Alexis his "everything" and said they shared a Thanksgiving meal together Thursday morning. He said the loss of his life partner has left him destroyed.
Sharkey said he's received death threats since his wife's disappearance and death. Sharkey described his marriage as happy. He said they weren't filing for a divorce.
"She wasn't happy. She was stressed. I would cuddle her to try to make her strong. She was an amazing woman. Sir, my wife was an amazing woman. She really was. There's always other sides to everything. I was the one holding her, cuddling her, and building her back up," said Sharkey. "I don't need to set the record straight. I'll let it play out the way it is. I know what my life was with my wife."
He abruptly ended the conversation. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm not a jerk," said Sharkey. "I'm just destroyed."
Read full conversation: Husband of Houston Instagram influencer says he's receiving death threats
What's next in the Alexis Sharkey investigation?
We know that Sharkey's cause of death is pending an autopsy by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
The case also remains under investigation. If you have any information, you're asked to call the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
A GoFundMe account has also been set up to help raise money for funeral costs and to cover travel fees for her family.
If you'd like to take part in honoring her life, a vigil is planned for Thursday, Dec. 3 at 5:30 p.m. at Buffalo Bayou Park.
At the time of this writing, no funeral plans have been released.
