The Harris County Sheriff's Office says it believes 47-year-old Christopher Leman Jr. killed his 75-year-old father and his 73-year-old mother on July 11.
Court documents say deputies went to the home to perform a welfare check called in by Leman Jr.'s brother. Documents claim his brother said he could not get a hold of his parents for about two days, and that he was concerned for his parents because his brother had been living with them and was "bipolar, extremely hyper and explosive."
When deputies entered the home, authorities said they found the bodies of Christopher Leman Sr. and his wife, Mary Leman, on the living room floor with severe injuries. Police allegedly also found a folding knife covered in blood near the bodies.
According to the sheriff's office, EMS pronounced Christopher dead on the scene, and Mary was airlifted to the hospital, where she died two days later.
Deputies said the same day they found the bodies, Leman Jr. was detained for a different incident at Academy Sporting Goods. Court documents said it was related to a suspicious person trying to purchase ammunition for a revolver.
Once he was detained, Leman Jr.'s U-Haul truck was towed into police custody. Inside, police said they found a metal baseball bat.
The Medical Examiner's Office determined both parents died from blunt force trauma, and his father also suffered stab wounds to the chest.
Based on cellphone data, police said Leman Jr. was present at the crime scene during the murders.
On Friday, he was charged with capital murder in their deaths. The sheriff's office called him a "threat to the community."
That description shocked some people who said they knew him, like Dennis Butterworth.
Butterworth said they were classmates and that Leman Jr. graduated at the top of their high school class.
"I always assumed he was doing great things because he was the smartest kid in school. (He) was super sharp," Butterworth said. "Kind of kept to himself a lot in high school."
ABC13 also spoke with a neighbor of Leman Jr., who did not want to identify themselves. The neighbor said they considered him a friend.
"That it is hard to believe that he's capable of something like that, to be honest with you," the person said. "I feel so bad for the parents and the brother that had to endure that."
In a separate case, Leman Jr. was accused of harassing a woman and making intimidating and threatening phone calls to her in July. It was connected to the incident that unfolded at Academy Sporting Goods.
According to court documents, Leman Jr. allegedly called the woman and told her that he attempted to purchase ammunition, a gasoline canister, a cooler, and pepper spray.
The woman claimed he said two teens punched him in the eye and that they were sleeping, and it was "the perfect time." The woman contacted authorities, who then detained Leman Jr.
A week later, court records said Leman Jr. made a threatening call to the same woman from a mental health hospital.