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. She was found days later, but it was with the help of her killer’s confession. 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. This baffling case has since been featured in CBS’ ’48 Hours: Storm of Suspicion’ as well as NBC’s ‘Dateline: Before the Storm.’
Paul Hargrave Was Briefly a Suspect in His Girlfriend’s Disappearance
Paul Hargrave met Crystal McDowell when she walked into his jewelry store and asked if her grandmother’s ring could be remade. He became fascinated by her personality, following which one thing led to another, and the two fell in love. Their romance grew over the summer of 2017, especially as they started 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 and head to work, only to grow suspicious when she failed to respond to his texts.
Paul was brought in for questioning when his girlfriend 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. However, by that point, he had also given footage from his surveillance cameras to media channels. His 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 showed a bit of aggressive behavior during it. He thus failed it. The result was never communicated to him, as it did not technically prove his guilt.
In fact, the truth is Paul assisted the official search party for Crystal in looking for her before going so 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 his later arrest, charge, trial, and conviction 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 Done His Best to Move 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 now appears to be a happily married family man surrounded by a handful of young kids. He is also a dog dad and doesn’t shy away from his past, as evidenced by the way he pays tribute to Crystal from time to time on important occassions such as her birdthay, as seen above.
Read More: Where Are Crystal McDowell’s Kids Now?
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