MISSING/FOUND DEAD: Melissa Sowders, 26 - Texas

[HairOfTheDog]

Melissa Sowders, pictured above, went missing on December 26^th. She was pregnant and has 4 children.

Texas Equusearch has been searching the land and water (using sonar) at Cypress Creek, Texas - near where her white Honda Accord was found on Dec. 27^th.

It was announced that a body was recovered there today. Though official ID is still pending, it's highly likely Melissa Sowders.



Background / Most Likely Suspect?:
Melissa had dropped her boyfriend, Jason Sanford (whose child she was carrying), at work at 6:15 a.m. on Thursday morning.

She next went to meet her estranged husband and their youngest daughter at McDonald's off of I-45 in Harris County. That was the last anyone saw her alive.

Melissa's family reports that her estranged husband, Matthew Sowders (who has custody of their three children), was abusive and jealous of her new relationship. Relatives who were interviewed right after her disappearance said that they didn't expect her to be found alive. Matthew Sowders lives very near to where the body was recovered.

LE has questioned Matthew Sowders and are combing his truck, but have not named him as a suspect (they almost never do that before arrest these days anyway).

I'll be shocked if the murderer turns out to be anyone other than the estranged husband.

Whoever killed her, hoping they left enough evidence to allow LE to make an arrest swiftly.

RIP Melissa Sowders.

Ref: http://abcnews.go.com/US/divers-recover-...d=21401745

[HairOfTheDog]

Estranged husband Matthew Sowders arrested and charged with felony murder


During his court appearance early Friday, prosecutors said two women heard separate confessions from Matt Sowders in regards to the killing of Melissa Sowders, according to the station.

One of the women claimed she saw what she believed to be a lifeless body in the doorway of Matt Sowders’ apartment when she went to visit, prosecutors reportedly said. That witness reportedly alerted authorities and called Matt Sowders with a deputy on the line. Prosecutors said Sowders admitted on that phone call to killing his wife.

The other female witness said she received a visit from Matt Sowders in which he told her he strangled Melissa Sowders to death after she pulled a gun on him. He allegedly went on to say he stuffed Melissa’s body into a large black trash can and transported her to Cypress Creek where he submerged her body, the station reports.

Matt Sowders was denied bond. If convicted, he could get life in prison or the death penalty.

He reportedly posted pictures of himself smiling with his four children on Facebook just after the murder.


The new man, Jason Sanford, father of the baby Melissa was carrying. He was active in the search efforts.

Refs:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-husband-o...th-murder/
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national...-1.1564915
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This asshole took a mother away from four children and an unborn child away from Mr. Sanford (not to mention taking Melissa away from everyone else who loved her) allegedly because he was jealous.

I'm not positive, but I believe that Sowders could be charged for two murders under the Unborn Victims of Violence Act passed in 2004 (passed following the murder of Laci Peterson and her unborn son Connor at the hands of Laci's husband, Scott Peterson).

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Yea Texas will likely charge him with both murders.
Anyone notice he has a really deep tan?

[HairOfTheDog]

You'd make a great detective, Six.

Nothing gets past you.