Deputies said the case is being investigated as an apparent murder-suicide.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A 12-year-old girl called 911 late Thursday after finding her mother unresponsive at a northwest Harris County home, where deputies later found the woman and the girl’s stepfather dead.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said the deaths happened around 11 p.m. in the 12500 block of Baldwin Springs Court. Investigators said the child was found outside the home and was physically unharmed. The case remained under investigation Friday as homicide detectives worked to confirm the full timeline.
Deputies and emergency medical crews responded after the girl reported that her mother was not responding. Inside the home, investigators found the woman dead. A man believed to be the child’s stepfather was found dead in a separate room. HCSO Homicide Sgt. Michael Ritchie said the early evidence pointed to a murder-suicide. “This is looking more like it is a murder-suicide,” Ritchie said during a Friday briefing.
Officials said there were no signs of forced entry and no evidence that another person had entered the home. A weapon was recovered at the scene, though authorities did not immediately release the type of weapon. Constable Mark Herman said the man appeared to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound, while the woman had stab wounds. The medical examiner’s office had not publicly released the victims’ names or final causes of death.
Investigators said the woman was the girl’s biological mother and the man was her stepfather. Authorities said all three had lived at the home for some time. Detectives were interviewing neighbors and reviewing possible surveillance video from the area to determine what happened before the 911 call. Officials said they were also looking into reports of past family violence involving the household.
No charges had been announced Friday because both adults were dead. The sheriff’s office said the case would remain open until detectives complete interviews, collect records and receive findings from the medical examiner. Officials had not said whether the child witnessed the violence or found the scene only afterward.
The girl was turned over to appropriate care after deputies arrived. Officials did not say where she would stay or whether other relatives had been notified. Investigators said no one else was found inside the home. The next public update is expected after autopsy findings and homicide investigators’ review are complete.
Author note: Last updated June 27, 2026.