Boyfriend accused of shooting 45-year-old woman to death, leaving her in shallow grave, HPD says
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- ABC13 has learned about an arrest days after a woman's family expressed fear that her killer, who allegedly left her in a shallow grave, may get away.
The Houston Police Department said 31-year-old Derek Fischer was charged with murder and tampering with evidence over the weekend in connection with Jennifer Ramirez's apparent shooting death.
According to HPD, detectives investigated in the 11000 block of Fuqua Street on April 22 when a grave with Ramirez's body was located. Police added they had no known witnesses or suspects at the time, but statements and evidence later led them to Fischer as the suspect.
On Monday, a probable cause court revealed Fischer is serving deferred adjudication for a separate family assault. Investigators believe Fischer and Ramirez were dating at the time of her alleged killing. A motive wasn't revealed.
Fischer's bond was set at $150,000 total.
In an earlier Eyewitness News report, HPD said the 45-year-old victim's body was found behind an apartment complex on the embank of a detention pond.
Ramirez's family told ABC13 she had a history of addiction and struggled in and out of jail. Her sister hoped she would have found her way back to them.
"There was so much hope in the family that she would be OK," Tabitha Galvan, Ramirez's sister, said. "That she would overcome the addiction and come back home and rebuild her relationships with her children and her husband."
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