$1M bond set for man accused of killing wife in front of daughter

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man has been charged after his common-law wife was shot and killed in front of her daughter over the weekend, according to police.

Investigators say the deadly shooting happened on Sunday inside the victim's apartment at 2020 Bentworth Drive at about 7:55 p.m.

Family members and court records identify the victim as 29-year-old Jasmine McHenry. She was pronounced dead at the apartment by Houston Fire Department paramedics.

On Monday, 32-year-old Thomas Wilson Alexander was charged with her murder.

Charging documents say Alexander shot his wife three times in front of her 9-year-old daughter, Azariah.

"My mom told me to call my grandma, and she told my grandma that Thomas pulled out a gun, and my grandma came," Azariah said. She and her grandmother spoke only with ABC13 Monday night, surrounded by a room full of family members.

"She said he was going to shoot her. That's when I got in the vehicle and went over there," Cynthia Demerson, McHenry's mother, recalled.

By the time Demerson arrived, McHenry was dead, and Azariah had witnessed it.

"I told the police, 'My stepdad shot my mom,'" the little girl said.

The bond for Alexander was set at $1 million, much higher that the $100,000 amount the state requested. The hearing officer said Alexander posed a danger to the community.

Family members said the couple had been together for at least three years. They share a 3-year-old son, Ayden.

They said McHenry was a devoted mother and kind-hearted. Her family said they didn't see anything in Alexander that could have predicted such violence.

"I have no idea why he did it, and I want to know why he did it," Demerson said.

Demerson said she will now raise her two grandchildren.

Relatives have established a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses.

ABC13 reported back in February that a UH domestic violence study found that intimate partner homicides in the Houston area have doubled in three years. 13 Investigates found that family violence-related homicides nearly doubled since before the pandemic.

If you need help getting out of a domestic violence situation, call the Houston Area Women's Center 24/7 hotline at 713-528-2121 or call AVDA at 713-224-9911. You can also click here to chat with an advocate online. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and need help, call 713-528-3625.

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