Murdered Houston woman's family concerned as her accused killer seeks release
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- An accused murderer held in the Harris County jail without bond is asking a judge for a chance to get out.
ABC13 has followed this high-profile case for years. Back in 2018, Brittany Burfield disappeared. Alex Haggerty was charged with her murder and then led investigators to her body 13 months later.
Three years since Burfield's murder, Haggerty sent a handwritten letter to a judge asking the court to set bond on Oct.13. His attorney also filed a motion asking the court to suppress key evidence in the case.
"(Burfield) did not deserve what happened to her," said her mother, Tricia Valentine.
Investigators found the 37-year-old's remains inside a manhole in Third Ward in 2019. Her accused killer led Quanell X and detectives to her body. Haggerty said Burfield was killed during a drug deal gone wrong, but the state is building a case against him for murder.
A judge could decide next week whether they have to do it without using the discovery of her body as evidence. Haggerty's attorney has filed a motion to suppress that evidence. Meanwhile, Valentine said she's worried that will make a difficult case even more complex for the prosecution.
"I'm really nervous about who's handling the case, even though I am reassured over and over by other people in the prosecutor's office that they'll do fine. It's scary for me," she said.
Valentine said she's dealt with five different prosecutorial teams in the three years since Burfield's murder. Some of them were much more experienced. As another hearing approaches, her fear that Haggerty could get bond or get off turns into a nightmare.
"In this dream, his arm came around me from behind me. For some reason, I knew it was his arm. He slapped a picture of (Burfield) on the table, then slammed my face onto the table and started to kill me. I woke up, and I just... I could barely speak, but I was crying for help," she said.
Valentine said she worries other families victimized in Harris County are dealing with similar situations concerning the district attorney's office.
Dane Schiller is a spokesman for the Harris County District Attorney's Office. In a statement, he said:
"Our hearts go out to every family that has lost a loved one to violent crime, and we treat each family with dignity and respect, as we seek justice. We will do everything in our power to ensure this defendant is held accountable under the law; a judge has agreed with our request that the defendant be denied bail and remain in jail. We have full confidence in the assistant district attorney currently assigned to this case."
"He should spend the rest of his life in jail, because if he doesn't, he will murder again. That's the kind of person he is. He needs to be held accountable for his actions," said Valentine.
So far, there is no trial date set in this case yet.
ABC13 made several attempts to reach Haggerty's attorney, but has not received a response.
