Kumari Shreya
In season 27, episode 46 of ‘Dateline,’ the viewers get an in-depth analysis of the murder of Crystal McDowell. Titled ‘Before the Storm,’ it delves into the tale of her suspicious disappearance while the residents of Baytown, Texas, were preparing for the upcoming Hurricane Harvey. As the investigations into her case began, the victim’s former husband, Steven “Steve” McDowell, became one of the most prominent names connected to it, especially when the extent of his actions was finally discovered.
Steve McDowell Did Not Take His Divorce With Crystal McDowell Well
The relationship between Steve McDowell and Crystal McDowell started when the latter was still working as a flight attendant. “I remember the day that she had met him, and she was very smitten,” Crystal’s aunt, Cindy Seratte, once candidly revealed. “I really thought she had met the man of her dreams.” Unfortunately, this was not enough for the couple to be able to maintain their relationship in the long run, resulting in Crystal allegedly cheating on her husband with both men and women.
It was after a decade that Steve and Crystal decided their marriage needed to end. The couple eventually divorced, but Crystal continued to live with her former husband because the remodeling of her new home was taking much longer to finish than expected. In the time that followed, not only did Crystal start working in the real estate industry, but she also began exploring new romantic connections, which led her to meet a local jewelry maker, Paul Hargrave.
On the morning of August 25, 2017, Crystal was seen leaving Paul’s house, but her whereabouts thereafter became unknown. Paul claimed that she had gone to pick up her kids from Steve’s home and then planned on going to work. Contrary to this, Steve claimed that he had received a text from Crystal that stated, “On my way. Do you have water? Looks like I may stay here with the kids. It seems just like rain.” This claim was then expanded on by Crystal’s uncle, Jeff Walters, who shared that Steve had told him that Crystal had messaged Steve later that she was going to pick up the kids and take them to Dallas, Texas.
A Mountain of Evidence Resulted in Steve McDowell’s Arrest for Murder
Before authorities could further investigate the information, Baytown was hit by Hurricane Harvey, and everything had to be put on hold owing to the need to divert resources. During this time, the victim’s cousin Jade began speaking up about the case online, leading to a tip that Crystal’s car was at the local Motel 6, with a picture as proof. It was then confirmed by officials and family members, too. When nearby surveillance cameras were checked, someone was seen parking the car in the Motel’s parking lot in the early hours of August 26, 2017, before fleeing on a bicycle. The footage also showed that a mere five hours later, Steve drove to a nearby gas station, got out, and walked to the parking lot where Crystal’s car was parked to see if it was still there.
Given the evidence, investigators decided to bring Steve in for questioning. However, he continued to deny involvement in this case and asserted he wanted to go home. Though the officers let him go, they decided to take his two children into protective custody as they were worried about their well-being. Steve was later told he would not be able to see them again unless he revealed the truth, which is when he started to break down.
Steve stated he wanted to return home, but promised to return the next day and reveal everything. He kept his word by confessing that he had choked Crystal to death after an argument. He added how he had then wrapped her body in a blanket, put her in the trunk of her own car, and driven off. Before he took investigators to Crystal’s remains, though, he negotiated for the death penalty to be removed as a punishment for him. The officers agreed to the deal, and Steve led them to the woods, where they found Crystal’s badly decomposed remains.
Steve McDowell Remains Incarcerated in a State Prison
When Steve McDowell’s trial began, his defense team argued that his actions were in the heat of the moment, which could have allowed him to receive a reduced sentence in Texas. This attempt did not succeed due to the testimony of Steve and Crystal’s young daughter, Maui McDowell, who had been five at the time. She stated that she had seen her parents argue about Crystal seeing Paul. The young girl added that her father had pushed her mother down and choked her to death. She had seen her father kill her mother right in front of her.
As per Maui’s statement, Steve had told her not to share anything regarding this with anyone, including her brother Madden McDowell. The young girl added that she had been unable to hear her mother but had seen her looking at her “sadly.” Ultimately, on June 12, 2019, Steve McDowell was sentenced to 50 years in prison. As of writing, at the age of 53, he remains incarcerated at the H. H. Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, Texas. Should he serve his full sentence, Steve would leave prison on September 10, 2067, though he would become eligible for parole on September 10, 2047.
Read More: Paul Hargrave: Where is Crystal McDowell’s Boyfriend Now?
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