Michael Ellis, 48, a Houston, Texas, man, was arrested after he allegedly fatally shot his girlfriend, Lazette King. 46. Having previously shot a man, Ellis allegedly shared a photo of King’s body with his sister and threatened the victim’s family.
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According to KHOU, citing Houston police sources, the incident took place on Tuesday, June 17. At around 9 p.m., Ellis allegedly shot a man in the leg, with the victim surviving the shooting and reporting it to the authorities, providing Ellis’ description.
An hour later, however, Ellis reportedly came back to his apartment. There, he allegedly shot King dead, with whom he shared the apartment. Following the alleged murder, Ellis contacted his sister and sent a photo of King’s body, as per police. Then, he allegedly threatened King’s family.
“He reached out to his sister to let his sister know what he had done,” Shatina Thompson, King’s sister, told KHOU. “He told her he was on his way to get her family next.”
At that point, Thompson and her family planned to get King’s parents out of their home. Reportedly, Ellis knew where they lived.
Following a manhunt, with SWAT officers searching for the man in multiple locations, Michael Ellis was eventually arrested at around 3 a.m. on Wednesday, June 18.
Mental Illness, Domestic Violence
While talking with KPRC, Ellis’s sister revealed that Michael suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and other mental health issues. She believes that he was not taking his medication at the time of the incident.
However, the idea of the attack stemming from mental illness has been disputed by King’s family. According to Vikki Kyle, King’s mother, this was a planned attack.
“He knew what he was doing and to do what he did, take pictures and send it to his sister? Come on now,” Kyle told KPRC.
This incident is doubly tragic for the family, as they now have to relive the trauma of loved ones dying from similar circumstances. Reportedly, King’s twin sister died from domestic violence back in 2001.
Thompson, having suffered the loss of yet another sibling, said that no one deserves to deal with domestic violence.
“If you’re dealing with anything domestic like that, get out, get out,” Thompson said. “No one deserves that. My sister did not deserve to die behind this maniac.”
As per Fox 26, Michael Ellis was charged with murder.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org​ or by texting “START” to 88788.