Family spokesperson Roy Cormier said, "She is one of the younger daughters – she's not the youngest, but she's next to the youngest daughter. So this is extremely devastating to the family."
Susanne Branch, 28, was home with her boyfriend and two small kids when investigators say a man broke into her home. At one point, they say, that man shot and killed Branch, then shot her boyfriend. He is critically wounded. It all happened as Branch's two boys – age 7 and 8 -- slept nearby.
Neighbor Tabitha Knight said, "She stayed to herself because she worked a lot, you know. But when she was out, she was out with her kids."
Investigators have learned a man identified by family members as Branch's ex-husband has been arrested in Louisiana. Authorities there had pulled over Alan Saint Brice for a traffic violation when they noticed blood on his clothes and hands. When the trooper called for backup, Saint Brice reportedly sped off. That's when troopers say he got rid of a weapon.
Louisiana State Police Trooper David Anderson said, "During that pursuit, troopers observed the driver roll down his window and toss a handgun out the window, which went into the Henderson swamp area."
Saint Brice was eventually arrested and taken to a jail outside Baton Rouge, where Harris County investigators will question him about the murder.
Branch's neighbors don't know much about her ex-husband, but said she seemed content in her new relationship.
""She was happy, you know," Knight told Eyewitness News. "From what I met of him, he's a really nice guy. It's sad."
Family members say Branch was a pulmonary nurse. She is survived by her parents, three siblings and her two small children, who are now in the care of family members. Branch's boyfriend has not been identified.
