HOUSTON — A man accused of shooting his mother several times and killing her fiancé is due back in court on Monday.
Stephen Burkes, 27, is charged with murder and aggravated assault, according to court documents.
According to investigators, Stephen Burkes shot his mother, Karen Jeffley, and her fiancé, Santiago Wesley, early Friday morning at a home in west Houston. Jeffley is still recovering from the shooting.
"Sometimes the stress of life ... which she believes impacted the actions ... create a very tragic situation in their home. I visited with Karen. She's resilient. She's recovering. She wanted the community to know how appreciative she is of their concern," Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said.
Jeffley called 911 after she was shot. She told police that she had been shot and needed help. When police got to the home, they found Wesley unresponsive in the front yard. Jeffley was found hiding in the living room.
Officers later found Stephen Burkes sitting outside in the patio area of the home. He was taken into custody and charged.
“Our suspect has had mental problems in the past," HPD Lt. R. Wilkins said. "They were thinking he was acting kind of strange today. He somehow got ahold of a pistol.”
It's unclear what the motive was for the shootings. Stephen Burkes is being held in jail on $500,000 bonds for each charge.
Painful times
Jackson Lee has been helping the family, which has endured a lot of pain recently.
Stephen Burkes is the brother of Delano Burkes, who went missing after a night out with friends in the Heights area. His body was found in the Houston Ship Channel about two weeks after his disappearance.