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Husband killed, wife injured in fight over children’s bath time at Houston apartment

Jerrell Butler (HPD)

HOUSTON – A man is dead, and his estranged wife was shot in the leg during an argument police said was over their children’s bath times.

The person of interest in the case has been identified as the woman’s brother, 41-year-old Jerrell Butler. The identity of the man who was killed is pending verification by forensics experts.

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The wife was breaking up with her husband who was moving, according to Officer Ronnie Willkens with the Houston Police Department.

He came by their apartment in the Greenspoint area Wednesday night just before 9 p.m. to get some belongings. Butler also lived in the apartment with the couple’s three kids.

“An argument broke out. He [the husband] was upset and yelling about the kids not having their bath yet,” Willkens said.

Butler and the husband started punching each other and the wife tried to break up the fight.

Both men pulled out guns and started shooting.

The husband was shot multiple times and died. The wife was shot in the leg and her brother took off, police said. They don’t know if Butler was injured, but they are looking for him.

Willkens said the kids aged 6 to 14 were in the area at the time and are all OK.

Police say Butler possibly left the scene with a female companion in a red or maroon vehicle.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jerrell Butler is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.


About the Authors
Karen Araiza headshot

Houston bred and super excited to be back home! I grew up in The Heights with my 8 brothers and sisters and moved back in 2024. My career as a journalist spans a lot of years -- I like to say there's a lot of tread on these tires! I'm passionate about helping people. I also really love sharing success stories and stories of redemption. Email me!

Michael Horton headshot

Michael is a Kingwood native who loves visiting local restaurants and overreacting to Houston sports. He joined the KPRC 2 family in the spring of 2024. He earned his B.A. from Texas A&M University in 2022 and his M.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023.

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