INVESTIGATES

You already know what illegal drugs like cocaine, opioids and marijuana look like, but have you seen the sneaky, new devices kids are using to hide drugs from their parents?

Staffing issues, inmates spending more time in holding cells, staff not following medical orders, or seeing inmate patients in a timely matter continue to plague the Harris County Jail, according to a new state inspection report obtained by KPRC 2 Investigates.

Imagine having to start a GoFundMe campaign just to pay your huge water bill. It happened to a Houston college professor. The KPRC 2 Investigates team is sharing his story as we look into Houston water billing issues to help you avoid the same pricey problem.

Imagine paying your water bill every month on time only to learn years later you were actually paying for water your neighbors used. And now the Houston water department says you owe thousands more for your own water. Our KPRC 2 Investigates team has another example of Houston water issues leaving customers ‘DRAINED’.

In the Season 2 finale of The Evidence Room, KPRC 2 Investigates explores the confessions of serial killer William Reece, who preyed on women from Texas to Oklahoma in the late 1990s.

Hundreds of Houston water customers who have paid their bills on time every month are getting slapped with enormous charges months later with no explanation. The KPRC 2 Investigates team is digging into the billing nightmares that are leaving customers “DRAINED.”

On a hot, sticky, Texas day in Montgomery County, instead of swimming in the new pool she paid tens of thousands of dollars for, Jacquelyn Hieber sweeps up the debris around this ugly, stinking, cement hole that’s now in her backyard.

Dirty, brown, sludgy water is leaving homeowners in northeast Houston “DRAINED.” When KPRC 2 Investigates tested rust-colored water coming from the taps, we found 548 times the amount of iron allowed by state standards.

Water leaks and pipe breaks is an expensive problem in Houston. In our ‘DRAINED’ KPRC 2 Investigation we've learned the reason it often takes so long to fix these issues is because the city of Houston has wrong and outdated water pipe maps.

A food fight has taken flight at Hobby Airport.

For months KPRC 2 Investigates has been fighting for you - asking why so many people are being “DRAINED" and forced to pay water bills they don't owe. The KPRC 2 Investigates team is actively investigating more than 200 customers who've reached out and our work is getting results.

Tina Evans wanted to share her story with KPRC 2 Investigates, not so much for Houstonians to have sympathy for her family, but because she wants families to take her story as a warning.

Fentanyl is a drug impacting every level of society, according to the special agent-in-charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Houston office.

For many domestic violence survivors, the decision to move forward with prosecuting their attacker can be daunting and painful. This is why advocates encourage survivors to seek help when navigating the criminal justice system.

In the hour-long documentary, KPRC 2 Investigates shares the stories of those who attended the festival, examines what went wrong and pinpoints what needs to be done to prevent another mass casualty incident in Houston.

Intimate partner violence involving couples in their golden years is something that even law enforcement doesn’t expect when they arrive to domestic violence emergencies.

Dr. Emily Jamea is giving tips for red flags to recognize abusive relationships.

A pot left on the stove sparked the fire at a Houston home day care that to this day burns the hearts of those who remember.

Hundreds of electric customers in League City, Galveston, Alvin, and along the gulf coast are getting inaccurate, inflated electric bills. One woman called our KPRC 2 Investigates team when her electric company insisted she pays $2,000 she didn’t owe or get her power shut off.

It appears that Teare will now challenge his soon-to-be former boss, District Attorney Kim Ogg, in the next primary.

Officials with the City of Houston’s Mayor’s Office released documents showing a preliminary cause to last November’s power outage at the East Houston Water Purification Plant.

Wanda Holloway was the very model of a modern, middle-class mom. That is, until she became the focus of international attention following her arrest on charges of trying to hire a hitman to kill the mother of her daughter’s cheerleading rival.

It’s a dangerous problem that’s often hidden from public view until it becomes deadly. Domestic violence caused by an intimate partner can leave victims feeling vulnerable and trapped. But help exists. Next week, KPRC 2 presents “Breaking Free”. We are partnering with law enforcement and agencies across our area to bring you a weeklong series focused on stopping partner violence. The goal is to provide support, resources, and solutions that can save lives.

Bill Spencer shows you what you need to know, if you'd like to raise a couple chickens in your own backyard and produce your own eggs.

A Houston woman says she will not rest until she gets something done about the placement of her long-time partner’s grave marker. She says it’s not just wrong, it’s disrespectful.

Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Sheriff Ed Gonzalez announced that they will host a gun buyback on Feb. 18 at Deussen Park.

A just-filed federal lawsuit targets two Houston Fire Department employees who are accused of not performing life-saving intervention techniques to save a young man with Cerebral Palsy.

With the number of people illegally crossing our southern border steadily increasing each month, according to Customs and Border Protection data, many rural counties are seeing their resources drained.

He’s considered Houston’s most notorious serial killer - 28 deaths linked to the so-called “Candy Man.”

A United States Senate hearing focused on “Promoting Competition and Protecting Consumers in Live Entertainment,” specifically related to Live Nation was held on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. last week.

KPRC 2 Investigates discovered the City of Houston was overcharging homeowners for more than 10 times the water they used because city employees were incorrectly reading their water meters.

KPRC 2 Investigates’ hit docuseries ‘The Evidence Room’ is back with a new season. The series examines the Houston area’s most notorious crimes and convictions utilizing unprecedented access to evidence stored at the Harris County criminal archives. Season 2 begins with the case of Ronald Haskell.

If you’ve been in the market for a new appliance lately, you probably noticed, you don’t have as many options and sometimes items are on backorder for months. So you might not be as picky when you do find one you want. That’s part of the problem for a west Houston man who has been dealing with a refrigerator problem since October.

The fear of missing out on the next big thing can cause people to make risky decisions.

For a lot of people, shopping for a new car has always been intimidating and frustrating and even more so in today’s market with higher prices. As consumers, we’ve been trained to start with the sticker price or MSRP and try to negotiate that down. But now, dealerships are adding markups on top of the MSRP. KPRC 2 Investigates explains what’s going on and how you can still negotiate the best price.

An arsonist on the move... It’s what KPRC 2 Investigates identified after obtaining surveillance video of the devastating blast at Winter Street Studios.

Following a tip from a city code inspector, the Houston Police Department recently executed a search warrant at a Houston-based company called GXOil.

To dig deeper into the Houston area's most notorious crimes, KPRC 2 Investigates launched the original docuseries, ‘The Evidence Room.’ In each episode, you get unprecedented access to the Harris County Archives of Criminal Exhibits, like confession tapes, secret recordings, crime scene photos, and videos - and even the murder weapons themselves.

As you look to make money in the new year, you may be curious about cryptocurrency. While it’s becoming more popular, it can be confusing. That’s part of why so many people fall victim to crypto fraud. A Conroe man said he did his homework and thought he was doing everything right, but he still lost a lot of money. He called KPRC 2 Investigates for help.

Season 2 of 'The Evidence Room' premieres on KPRC 2+ Jan. 25, 2023

Inspection reports for the city of Houston’s East Water Purification Plant show problems with various electrical components at the facility.

Bright and early Tuesday morning, the Public Utility Commission of Texas delivered a measure of good news concerning the Texas Power Grid.

Every year, KPRC 2′s Spencer Solves It Team brings a boatload of Christmas cheer to families in need in the Houston area with Christmas Miracles Week. Meet a family from Houston who is having a hard time making ends as their family unexpectedly grows.

Charity at the checkout. Stores ask you to round up to help someone else in need. Where does that money end up and who benefits from your donation?

KPRC 2 Investigates is exposing problems with Houston’s water bills and meter reading issues. In our ‘DRAINED’ Investigation, we learned many of you are getting crazy high bills and waiting months trying to resolve them. As people continue to send us questions and concerns we wanted to share five things you need to do to make sure you are not stuck with an insanely high water bill that you don’t owe.

As the investigation being conducted by the Houston Police Department continues into the Astroworld tragedy, KPRC 2 Investigates has confirmed members of HPD’s leadership have been moved or simply moved on following the deadly concert.

Months after 10 people died during a crowd crush at the Astroworld festival, there was still a back-and-forth over responsibility, authority and permitting for large events at NRG Park.

Houston and homicides -- the two have been much more prevalent since 2020. A historic surge producing numbers not seen in nearly 30 years on the streets of Houston.

HOUSTON The Texas Supreme Court recently ordered no jury trials or jury selections are to take place before Aug. 1, unless a plan is submitted and approved by the Office of Court Administration. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys agree the system cant handle much more of a back-up and they have got to find a way to get things moving. Thiessen said only 10 people are allowed in a courtroom at a time and that includes court staff. Thiessen and Musick both were quick to say the idea of trial participants wearing masks wont work. The back-up in the courts is also leading to an increase in the population at the Harris County jail.

While booking the first leg on United, we saw the promotion of social distancing by limiting or blocking the advance selection of middle seats. But had the flight been full, social distancing would not have been an option. When we landed in Austin, flight attendants asked us to exit one row at a time to keep our distance, but a few passengers ignored the request. An internal memo says flight attendants should approach the situation with empathy and respect. Southwests official policy says customers will be asked to wear masks when social distancing is not possible. Its an indication that perhaps bluer skies are ahead for an airline industry thats navigating through turbulent times.