Man found decapitated at Palace Inn in southwest Houston, police say

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Man found decapitated inside SW Houston hotel, HPD says

Despite having 24 cameras, hotel surveillance didn't catch any suspicious activity.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man found dead in a hotel room in southwest Houston was decapitated, according to police.

Investigators on scene say they responded around 12:30 p.m. on Monday at the Palace Inn located at 8200 Southwest Freeway, after the property manager found the body and alerted the property owner.

"Around 11:30 a.m., at checkout time, no one was answering the door so we went in the room and we found a body and at that point, we called 911," said Raj Das, the owner of the Palace Inn.

Das tells ABC13 guests did report loud noises and none of the hotel's 24 cameras caught suspicious activity.

"No one busted down the door. There was not any other activity. Anybody that entered the room entered with a key and they let them in," said Das.

He said a man checked in to the hotel room with the victim Sunday afternoon.

According to HPD homicide detective Alexander Vinogradov, the victim, who was described as a heavy set Hispanic male in his 30s, was "in some shape or form, he had been decapitated."

"He was missing some limbs inside of the room," said Vinogradov.

Hear details from an HPD homicide detective about what investigators saw in the room and why surveillance cameras may be a vital piece of evidence in this case. Plus, could this have been drug or gang related? Hear him answer those questions in the video above.

A preliminary investigation shows there may have been some sort of altercation on Sunday that may have led to the man's killing. Vinogradov said investigators believe multiple people may have been involved.

They believe the murder happened between 9 p.m. and midnight on Sunday, when three people, two men and a woman, arrived.

Vinogradov said they're currently looking for the man who checked into the hotel room, the two Hispanic men and the Hispanic woman who arrived later. Police said the suspects were seen driving a black SUV. A detailed description of both the suspects and the SUV, however, was not immediately released.

Vinogradov added a second vehicle the suspects were seen leaving in was a blue Hyundai sedan with temporary license plates.

"It looks like there were two Hispanic males that were with [the victim] at the time," said Vinogradov. "They were inside the room [and] there was a lookout in that room."

The investigation is in its early stages but Vinogradov is asking anyone with information, or anyone who may have been staying at the hotel, to contact police.