Karkea Crenshaw, 33, was shot dead at her Chimney Rock Road apartment in Houston on April 26, 2018. She had been living there with her boyfriend, Michael Demarcus Parker, 28, and one of her children. Earlier that day Parker had assaulted Crenshaw; she changed the locks after that assault but Parker returned, kicked in the door, and shot her.

Parker was taken to Southwest Memorial Hermann Hospital in critical condition and was charged with Crenshaw’s murder. He had a prior conviction for aggravated robbery from January 2010, and police had been called to the apartment for family violence in December 2017. The case underlines the lethal risk present in abusive relationships and the barriers victims face when trying to leave.

If anyone knew Karkea, lived nearby, or has information about the events that morning, please come forward.