As authorities drew in on him for his role in the death of Alexis Sharkey, a 26-year-old social media star discovered dead in Houston last year, her husband took his own life.
On Sept. 29, nearly a year later, a Houston police arrest warrant was issued for her husband, Thomas “Tom” Sharkey, with plans to charge him with her murder in Harris County. Investigators hadn’t designated Tom Sharkey as a suspect in his wife’s death until that date.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Sgt. Michael Burrow of the Houston Police Department’s Homicide Division claimed that an investigation determined that Tom was the only person with the “means, motive, and opportunity to have committed the crime.”
He claimed the pair had a history of domestic violence, though Alexis Sharkey had never made a police report, and that their relationship was on the rocks. “We have a lot of evidence that there was a breakup and that he was interested in reuniting with her, while she did not appear to be. There were no formal divorce files, but there’s every sign that’s where things were headed,” Burrow explained.
Tom was tracked down to Fort Myers, Florida, by a fugitive task group, who discovered he was residing with a relative. At 10 p.m., they found him. Officials reported Wednesday that the incident occurred Tuesday night.
“Mr. Sharkey steered clear of them and dashed upstairs when he realized police enforcement was on his tail. He also used a firearm to commit suicide “Burrow explained. The death investigation into Tom’s death is being handled by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.