A 22-year-old man is accused of allegedly killing a young mother to avenge the murder of his half-brother, according to police.
A press release from the Seabrook Police Department states that on Oct. 4, Mary Jayne Collins was discovered dead inside her apartment after emergency personnel and police officers responded to reports of a gunshot at the Teakwood Apartment Complex. There were also two young children, unharmed in the apartment when she was found. The first responders arrived at the scene around 11:30 a.m. that morning.
The Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office did an autopsy on Collins and determined that she died by blunt force trauma and a single stab wound. It was originally thought that she died from a gunshot wound.
Investigators also determined that Dawayland Hurst was present at the apartment when the killing took place. Police suspect that he assaulted one of the children before first responders arrived at the apartment.
Law & Crime reported that detectives feel that Hurst killed Collins due to a connection to a murder that took place on July 31, 2020. The man killed that day in Texas City was Diajwan Triplett. Police officers arrested and convicted 25-year-old Michael King for the murder. Triplett is Hurst’s half-brother, according to ABC 13.
Detectives state that in June, Hurst started a relationship with Collins, who was the former girlfriend of King, as well as the mother of their child. Police officers are uncertain if she knew Hurst was related to Triplett. They said that right away, Hurst was abusive toward Collins. She told family members that Hurst had bitten her on her face and showed friends photos of other injuries she allegedly suffered at the hands of Hurst.
“I believe the defendant was motivated to revenge the death of his brother Diajwan Triplett,” a detective theorized. “Thus he befriended, abused and then murdered the victim who was the mother of Michael King’s children.”
Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact Seabrook police at (281) 291-5610.
