Naman Shrestha
Investigation Discovery’s ‘Before I Die: Message from the Grave’ profiles the horrendous murders of Sharon Denson and Sydney Dees that took place in June 2008. But thanks to the former’s courage and dying declaration, the authorities’ job was made easier as they were able to get their hands on the perpetrator/s relatively quickly. Since the episode also includes exclusive interviews with the victims’ family and friends, as well as official experts who played an important role in the case, the viewers get all the intricate details of the same.
Sharon and Sidney Were Attacked At the Latter’s House
Sharon Denise Denson was born on June 5, 1958, in a seemingly loving household and grew up to be a kind and considerate woman. She tied the knot with Glen Denson, and soon, the married couple gave birth to two kids, including a son — Christopher Denson. After several years into their marriage, they decided that they could openly see other people while still sharing a home with each other. So, Sharon soon began dating Sidney Dees, a former Marine who served two tours of duty in Vietnam. The man in his 60s also participated in the first Gulf War and earned a Purple Heart before retiring to San Antonio to stay close to his family in Houston.
In June 2008, Sharon asked her son Christopher to drop her off at Sidney’s apartment but instead, he dropped her off at Walmart, where she met her boyfriend. The following day began just like any other regular day, but little did the lovers know that it would turn out to be a tragic and traumatic experience. On June 23, 2008, 50-year-old Sharon Denson was found badly wounded on the sidewalk outside her boyfriend’s North Side residence on the corner of Hardy Oak and Summit Springs. As a few passersby found her in a critical condition, they called the authorities.
When the officers rushed to the scene after the ambulance, they found out that Sharon was reportedly shot five times and set on fire at Sidney’s place. She then somehow managed to crawl out of her boyfriend’s residence before losing consciousness. The ambulance took her to the Brooke Army Medical Center, where she was admitted for several days. Then, the investigators went inside Sidney’s house to find shell casings, a fire, and his lifeless body.
Sharon’s bloody footsteps leading outside of the apartment were also clearly visible. While Sidney was declared dead on the spot from gunshot wounds and severe burns, there was still some hope for Sharon, who had been fighting for her life at the hospital. The detectives taped the crime scene and searched for any incriminating evidence they could find. Unfortunately, a week after the tragic incident, on June 30, 2008, Sharon took her final breath as she succumbed to all her fatal injuries.
Sharon and Sidney Were Murdered At the Hands of Someone Close to the Former
In the early hours of June 23, 2008, around 4 am, the burned and barely alive Sharon Denson was found by Rusty Banner, who approached her and dialed 911. He heard her murmuring something in a whisper, informing him that her boyfriend’s house across the street was set ablaze by her husband. Another passerby named Yvette Cheesebrew stopped by Sharon and Rusty and heard the former say that her husband also killed her boyfriend, Sidney Dees. As the police interrogated the family and friends of Sharon, they found out from her son Christopher that her husband Glen Denson had inquired about her whereabouts a day prior to Sharon’s murder.
Christopher claimed that at the time, he lied to his father and told him that he had no idea about it. With so many pieces of evidence and witnesses pointing towards Glen Denson, the authorities did not hesitate to knock on the door of his house in the 15000 block of Preston Court, just a few hours after the discovery of Sharon’s burned body and Sidney’s lifeless body.
At the time of the arrest, the investigators found the same-sized ammunition in Glen’s house as the ones used on Sharon and Sidney. On top of that, gunshot residue was found on his arm, his arm hair was singed, and there were several burns on his legs. Upon testing his clothes, they also tested positive for gasoline. Thus, he was charged with murder, attempted murder, and arson with bodily injury and kept in custody at the Bexar County Jail.
Glen Denson Remains Behind Bars at a Texas Prison
About three years after the tragic incident that took two victims, Sharon Denson and Sidney Dees, in April 2011, the trial of Glen Denson for the murder charges commenced. During the trial, the prosecutors showed the jurors the defendant’s burned legs at the time of his arrest. His son Christopher testified that the burns were not present the night prior to the murder. It took only a few days for the jurors to return with a guilty verdict and convict Glen Denson for shooting his wife and her boyfriend before setting their bodies ablaze. Soon after the guilty verdict was read, he also received a life imprisonment sentence without the possibility of parole.
Following the sentencing, the prosecutors didn’t want to seek the death penalty for Glen as they wanted him behind bars for the rest of his life. In an emotional testimony, Glen’s girlfriend at the time, Gina Ellison, addressed the court and talked about him being a nice person who always showed support to her daughters and used to spend two to three nights every week with her. She also stated that their relationship was not a secret and she had a cordial relationship with Sharon as well. “They would both just say they weren’t divorcing because they were both still living in the house,” Gina said. Currently, Glen Denson is serving his sentence at TDCJ Polunsky Unit or Allan B. Polunsky Unit at 3872 FM 350 in Livingston, Texas.
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