A Maryland man has been arrested after authorities say he admitted to killing his girlfriend, 29-year-old Alexis Schuler, whose disappearance had puzzled investigators. On Sunday, January 19, police executed a search warrant at 30-year-old Devontae Gray’s home in Capitol Heights, Maryland, in connection with Schuler’s disappearance.
According to a news release from the Prince George’s County Police Department, authorities discovered Schuler’s body hidden in what they described as a “makeshift tomb” under stairs and behind a recently constructed wall in Gray’s home. Investigators allege that Gray had placed Schuler’s body in a plastic storage bin, then poured concrete around it before covering it with drywall that had fake bricks. The body was found under a large amount of soil and hay, as detailed in the charging documents, which were reported by NBC4, WJLA-TV, and WCSC-TV.
Gray was arrested at the scene and allegedly confessed to killing Schuler during a dispute, authorities said. An autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner revealed that Schuler had been shot.
Schuler’s mother, Tiwana Schuler, spoke out about the loss, recalling how she had warned her daughter about Gray. “I told her to be careful,” she said during an interview with Fox 5 DC, explaining that she didn’t trust Gray, the father of one of Alexis’s three children. Tiwana claimed that she last saw her daughter with Gray on January 10. Later, Gray had contacted Tiwana, asking about Alexis’s whereabouts, which prompted Tiwana to report her daughter as missing to the police on January 14.
The murder has left a deep void in Schuler’s family, as expressed by her cousin, Derrick Felder, who said, “Alexis will be deeply missed, and there is a void in our family,” during a news conference, according to NBC 4.
Devontae Gray is facing murder charges and other related offenses. He is currently being held in the Department of Corrections. It is not yet clear whether Gray has entered a plea or secured legal representation. The investigation into Schuler’s death continues as the community grapples with the shocking tragedy.