Suspect charged with capital murder of 6 kids, 2 adults

A 49 year old man, David Ray Conley III, has been charged with tying up and shooting dead his ex-wife, her Husband, and six children - including his own 13 year old son - at her house in Houston.

David Ray Conley III, had recently moved out of the family home and came back to find the locks had been changed, he told police.

But the serial criminal allegedly found an open window on Saturday night, climbed through, then killed all 8 family members.

Conley told investigators that he restrained 8 people inside with metal handcuffs, including Jackson and shot them in the back of the head.

The identities of the victims were released in a press conference Sunday afternoon. They include, Valerie Jackson, her husband Dwayne Jackson, 50, Dwayne Jackson, Jr., 10, His own son-Nathaniel Jackson, 13, Honesty Jackson, 11, Caleb Jackson, 9, Trinity Jackson, 7, and Jonah Jackson, 6.

Doctors at the scene said all 8 victims suffered gunshot wounds to the head and died at the scene, the prosecutor noted.

 

Conley, who didn't appear in court, has been charged with three counts of capital murder and had bond denied, one capital murder count covers multiple deaths, another is for a person under 6 years old, according to court records. He was wanted on a warrant assault on a family member and is now being held in the Harris County Jail.

After an hour-long stand-off with police inside the house, Conley was arrested and charged with capital murder.

Conley was arrested Saturday evening after a standoff with police after Harris County Sheriff's deputies responded to the home for a welfare check.

After the standoff, deputies found the 6 children and 2 adults dead inside the home.

 

The sheriff's office held a press conference Sunday afternoon. Chief deputy Tim Cannon said the incident is a tragedy with which the community is all too familiar.

"We're here today on a very sad day," Cannon said. "We're here with our brothers in arms standing behind us because we're all hurting. It's a difficult day for us at the sheriff's office. Once again, a tragedy has struck…our city. Our hearts go out to those…affected by this tragedy."

HCSO Spokesman Thomas Gilliland said when deputies arrived, no one responded at the front door. They then received more information that indicated a man in the home was wanted on a warrant. 

 

The sergeant on the scene called for a High Risk Operations Unit, similar to SWAT, to help make entry and investigate. While the call was being placed, deputies surrounded the home, and they spotted the body of a juvenile through a window.

At that point, the sergeant and three deputies forced their way in, and Conley began shooting, the sheriff's office says. Deputies pulled back and waited for the HROU and a negotiator to arrive.

Authorities established contact with the Conley, and after more than an hour he came outside and surrendered without further incident.

The bodies of eight people were found in the home, Gilliland said.

 

A Gofundme account has been created for the family to help with burial costs.

 

Court records show Conley's criminal history dates back to at least 1988, with the most recent incident last month, when was charged with assault of a family member. 

In court documents, authorities said the suspect had been arrested for allegedly assaulting the woman he was living with at the home where the bodies were found. 

Court documents said Conley pushed the woman's head against a refrigerator multiple times after she tried to stop him from disciplining her son with a belt. The case was still pending.

In 2013, he was charged with aggravated assault for threatening the same woman with a knife. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine months in the county jail.

In 2000, he was arrested for retaliation, accused of putting a knife to his then-girlfriend, threatening to kill her, her baby and himself. 

 

 

Source: FNC