Deepra Sarkar
Crystal McDowell was a successful and gorgeous realtor living in Baytown, Texas. In 2017, just before Hurricane Harvey struck the coast, she disappeared and was found days later, but it was already too late. The police discovered that her former husband, Steve McDowell, had killed and dumped her body in a wooded area. Her boyfriend at the time, Paul Hargrave, was also a suspect in the investigation. So, this baffling case has since been featured in CBS’ ’48 Hours: Storm of Suspicion’ as well as NBC’s ‘Dateline: Before the Storm.’
Who is Paul Hargrave?
Paul Hargrave met Crystal McDowell when she walked into his jewelry store and ordered a remake of her grandmother er’s ring. He actually became fascinated by her personality, following which one thing led to another and the two fell in love. Their romance actually grew over the summer of 2017, especially as they’d even staryed talking about moving in together. However, Crystal was cautious about revealing their relationship to her former husband, whom she expected would not be pleased with this development in her personal life. Paul last saw her on August 25 when she left his house to pick up her kids from Steve’s home, only to grow suspicious after she failed to respond to his text messages.
Paul was brought in for questioning once his girlfriend’s was first reported missing, and he complied with the police entirely. He gave a complete statement, samples for DNA testing, cellphone records, and camera footage. His main intention was not just to rule himself out as a suspect but also to help the police focus on the actual culprit. He even took a polygraph test, but reports indicate he’d shown a bit of an aggressive behavior during it. He thus failed it, and the results of the same were never informed to him, but it did not technically prove his guilt.
In fact, the truth is Paul actually assisted the official search party for Crystal and her uncle to look for her before going as far as to offer a $5,000 reward in addition to the money offered by his partner’s uncle in exchange for information about her. Soon, the police were able to zero in on Crystal’s former husband as the prime suspect, resulting in him later being arrested, charged, tried, and convicted of murder. Paul had his suspicions about Steve. He said, “I believe he knew exactly what he was doing. I think he knew the storm was coming in, and this would help cover his tracks. I think I had a lot to do with his decision to do this, and I can’t help but feel responsible for that.”
Paul Hargrave Has Moved On From the Past
From what we can tell, Paul Hargrave continues to serve as a professional jeweler to this day. The Accredited Senior Gemologist with GIA is the Owner and Chief Gemologist at Texas Gem Services, which he has been running since February 2010. He even describes himself as a “seasoned gemologist with over 24 years of experience in all phases of the gemology and jewelry industry. I have an extensive background in appraisals and certifications of gems, as well as management and oversight of the jewelry business.” This Houston native actually holds an Associate’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Lee College, along with a diploma in Gemology from the Gemological Institute of America, plus a certification from the Diamond Council of America.
Moreover, we should mention that Paul is also the founder, managing director, as well as chief gemologist of multiple gemstone and jewelry enterprises across greater Houston, Texas. His current affiliations are with Ring Trader (since 2014), and Robson’s Jewelers (since 2000), with a former one with Hargrave Appraisal Services (from 2006-2010) too. As for his personal life, it appears as if Paul has since moved on – this 4th Generation jeweler is actually a happily married family man surrounded by a handful of young kids.
Read More: Where Are Crystal McDowell’s Kids Now?
