Man kills girlfriend then sends photo of her body to family, Texas cops say

A man is accused of killing his long-term girlfriend and sending a photo of her body to family, Texas police say.

Police say Michael Ellis fatally shot his girlfriend, Lazette King, inside a Houston apartment at 11:20 p.m. Tuesday, June 17, KPRC reported. Ellis and King had been staying at the apartment together, according to police.

Elllis is also accused of shooting a man in the leg earlier the same night, though police say they don’t believe the two incidents are connected, KHOU reported.

After killing King, police say Ellis sent a photo of her body to a member of his family, who then called 911, the station reported.

King’s sister, Shatina Thompson, said Ellis also sent a message stating he was going to come after the rest of King’s family, the outlet reported. However, officers found and arrested Ellis at 3 a.m. Wednesday, June 18, police said.

Thompson says her sister was a “free-spirited” person who “loved her kids” and “loved her dad more than anything,” KTRK reported. “She didn’t deserve what happened to her.”

It’s not clear what may have motivated the killing, but investigators say Ellis suffers from mental health issues and was not taking his medication, the outlet reported.

This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 10:06 AM with the headline "Man kills girlfriend then sends photo of her body to family, Texas cops say."