Sheila-Jo Portillo Hanks, 51, was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head in her San Antonio apartment on Vance Jackson Road on January 29, 2024. Her husband, 44-year-old Carlos Portillo, was found nearby covered in blood and behaving erratically; he told officers the blood was his wife’s and was arrested on murder charges. Bonds were set totaling $275,000.

Neighbors reported loud arguments and screams from the couple’s apartment the weekend before the shooting and on the morning of the incident. In the days before her death Sheila-Jo posted on social media about needing companionship and support and was described by family friends as being in a volatile relationship; friends had offered to help her leave. Sheila-Jo had moved from Alaska to Texas a few years earlier to be with Carlos, whom she met while he was serving time for drug charges.

After her death attention turned to her two dogs; one was adopted immediately while a family member in New Hampshire worked with rescue groups and volunteers to transport the other dog more than 2,195 miles to a new home.