US Attorney: Boyfriend choked then shot missing postal worker

Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Murdered postal worker's family gripped by heartache
The family of Gayla Roy says learning how she died is "bittersweet."

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- "It's been really tough, we've been wanting to know what happened."

Two days turned into two weeks. Then, two weeks turned into two agonizing months.

It was back on September 11th when postal worker Gayla Roy disappeared.

"I knew he had did it because I talk to her when they got off of work, and she told me she was taking him home. I was the last one to talk to her," said Rodney Rigmaiden, Gayla's father.

Don Gaines and Gayla Roy
KTRK

Today, the Rigmaiden family's worst fears were realized.

Investigators said 30-year-old Don Gaines, who is also the father of Gayla's two kids, kidnapped her and drove her to Louisiana.

Authorities say Gaines choked the young mother until she stopped breathing. He thought she was dead, but Gayla regained consciousness during the trip.

Detectives say that's when Gaines took Gayla into a wooded area along I-10, shot her in the head and left her there to die.

EXCLUSIVE: Don Gaines says police have interviewed him about the disappearance of postal worker Gayla Roy.

Tonight family members leaning on each other, trying to make sense of it all. It's bittersweet, they tell me.

They say it is a big relief to finally get closure, but then the pain still lingers as they prepare to finally put Gayla to rest.

They still want to know why she was taken from them.

"She was a good girl she took care of her kids she'll give you the shirt off her back," Rigmaiden said.

Missing postal worker's ex charged in unrelated case

The search for Gayla Roy continues as her ex, Don Gaines, sits in a jail cell.

Postal worker and mother of two vanishes in N. Houston

Have you seen Gayla Roy? The young mother of two has been missing since the early morning hours of Sept.11th.

Report a typo to the ABC13 staff

Copyright © 2024 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.