Suvechha Sarkar
Crystal Ann McDowell was a loving mother of two and a trustworthy friend. Unfortunately, her beautiful life came to a sudden end when the 37-year-old went missing. The missing persons case soon unraveled into a deeply unsettling investigation, revealing layers of personal conflict and suspicion that culminated in a devastating discovery when her remains were found. The case is revisited in NBC’s ‘Dateline: Before the Storm,’ which carefully reconstructs the events leading up to Crystal’s disappearance and the confession that cracked the case. It also features emotional interviews with her loved ones and the law enforcement officials who helped find the killer.
Crystal McDowell Persevered Through a Tough Childhood to Build Her Career
Anthony Paul and Pamela Sue Walters welcomed their beautiful daughter, Crystal Ann Seratte, into the world on October 26, 1979. She reportedly faced a troubled childhood since both her parents struggled with drug addiction. Her life was further rocked when her mother unexpectedly passed away on October 20, 1993, and her father’s life came to an end on March 23, 1994. After losing her parents, Crystal once again faced an ordeal when she was reportedly abducted and sexually assaulted by a man at just 13 years of age. After she managed to escape her abuser, she began living with her paternal uncle, Jeffrey Walters. Crystal was described by her family members as a hardworking person who cared for everyone close to her.
After completing her education, Crystal began her career as a Flight Attendant for ExpressJet Airlines sometime in 2002. There, she also worked as a Training Instructor since she wanted to help others realize their dreams. Simultaneously, she began working as a 3rd-generation top-producing Realtor at the Virginia Malone & Associates LLC. Since Crystal lost her parents at an early age, she was close to her extended family, including her uncles Terry Seratte (and his wife Cindy), Robert Walters, and Jeffrey Walters, and her aunts, Sandra Bransford and Debra French. Through her family, Crystal first met Steven Wayne McDowell, and they soon grew closer. It wasn’t long before they tied the knot around 2007. Over the next few years, they welcomed their daughter, Maui Lorelei McDowell, and son, Madden Alexander McDowell, into their lives.
Crystal McDowell’s Remains Were Found Several Days After She Went Missing
Due to certain issues in their relationship, Crystal filed for divorce and split with Steven in 2017. She was still living with him and their two children in Baytown, Texas, as her new home was being remodeled. By August 2017, she had been dating a local jewelry shop owner, Paul Hargrave, for a few weeks. Everything appeared to be going perfectly until her life took a turn on August 25, 2017, when her coworkers and family members were unable to reach her. After hours had passed with no news from Crystal, her family members reported her missing. Officials reportedly questioned Paul and learned that she had left his home around 7:35 am after spending the night there.
Two days after Crystal’s disappearance, Hurricane Harvey hit Baytown, which made the search for her challenging. Crystal’s family reached out to the community for assistance through social media. They reportedly received a lead when an individual informed them that Crystal’s partially submerged car was spotted at the Motel 6 off the I-10. Upon searching the car, authorities found her keys inside but found no other clues. An unexpected lead led them to a wooded area off the Needlepoint Road on September 9, 2017, where they discovered the highly decomposed remains of Crystal. According to reports, forensic experts found early indications of her being strangled. The autopsy report determined her manner of death to be homicide.
CCTV Footage Linked Crystal’s Disappearance to Her Ex-Husband
When the missing persons investigation began, officials received surveillance footage confirming that Crystal left Paul’s home around 7:35 am on August 25, 2017. When they questioned Steven, he reportedly claimed that Crystal had texted him to say that she was coming to pick up their children and head to Dallas to ride out the storm. According to reports, upon searching his house, officials discovered the bag, in which Crystal carried her business papers. When Steven was brought in for questioning, he denied knowing anything about her disappearance and claimed that he was at a Walmart that morning. After Crystal’s car was found at Motel 6, detectives retrieved CCTV footage from the area, which captured her car getting parked around 6:37 am on August 26.
According to court records, around 5 hours later, gas station cameras captured a Mustang GT pulling up. It showed a man resembling Steven getting out of the vehicle and then walking towards Motel 6 to look at her car. The investigators reportedly noted that the car was also identical to the one Steven owned. As the search expanded to nearby roads, detectives discovered surveillance footage that captured a person resembling Steven riding away on a distinctive bicycle around 7:05 am, after Crystal’s car was dropped off. Official records indicate that a similar bicycle was found in Steven’s garage, and a nearby Walmart surveillance camera captured him buying it on August 26.
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The Killer’s Confession Led Officials Uncover the Last Moments of Crystal’s Life
Officials further learned that Steven had spoken about murder and suicide, where he claimed to die by suicide and kill his children, as per reports. After Steven and Crystal’s children were put in the custody of Child Protection Services, Steven was brought into the police station. As per police records, he asked the detectives to let him go for the night and promised to tell them about Crystal’s whereabouts. On September 9, 2017, Steven confessed that he and Crystal had an argument the morning after she returned, because she had spent the night outside.
In his statements, Steven admitted that during the fight, Crystal told him that she didn’t want to be with him, and he then strangled her from behind. Investigative reports suggest that he confessed to tying her remains before placing them in trash bags and driving to the nearby wooded area to dispose of them, where the remains were later discovered. Ultimately, Steven was arrested in September 2017 and charged with Crystal’s murder. His jury trial began in June 2019, and he was convicted of premeditated murder in the same month. On June 12, 2019, Steven was sentenced to 50 years in prison. He will be eligible for parole on September 10, 2042.
