Maryland man killed girlfriend, hid body in ‘makeshift tomb’: police
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. - A Maryland man has been arrested for the murder of his girlfriend inside his home in Capitol Heights.
Maryland man killed girlfriend, hid body in ‘makeshift tomb’
What we know:
The suspect is 30-year-old Devontae Gray of Capitol Heights. He’s charged with murdering 29-year-old Alexis Schuler of Washington, D.C.
The Metropolitan Police Department contacted the Prince George’s County Police Department for assistance in a missing person's investigation. Schuler was initially reported missing to police by her mother, Tiwana Schuler, on January 14, 2025. Her mother stated she had not seen her daughter since January 10, 2025, around 6 p.m.
The decedent was last seen departing from her residence in Southeast, D.C. with her boyfriend in his blue pickup truck.
Police discover ‘makeshift tomb’
The backstory:
As part of that investigation, the Prince George’s County Police Department executed a search warrant at the home of Gray on January 19, 2025, in Capitol Heights.
Authorities were able to locate Schuler’s remains. According to authorities, Gray made extensive efforts to hide the victim’s body in his home. It was later determined the victim had been shot.
According to charging documents, Gray was pictured on surveillance video going in and out of his home with construction materials while dressed in a full-body construction suit with gloves between January 12 to 13, 2025. The materials appeared to be cement, sheet rock, cinder blocks, chemicals, large black storage containers, and plastic bags.
Officials executed a welfare check on January 14 at 716 Larchmont Avenue in Capitol Heights. Upon arrival, officers noted a "weird" smell when entering the residence but believed the "dirty" condition of the residence was to blame.
Authorities returned to the home on January 19, 2025, and located a semi-automatic handgun inside the residence along with fresh drywall, acetone, lemon ammonia, and other cleaning and construction items in the duplex. Members of the Prince George's County Fire Department and other officials assisted in removing drywall in the residence, where a "makeshift tomb" was discovered under the stairs, according to charging documents.
The bin was opened and inside a human foot was visible and believed to belong to the decedent, Schuler.
Gray was taken into custody at the scene. He has confessed to murdering Schuler. Authorities believe he killed the victim during a dispute.
He is charged with first degree murder and related charges and is in the custody of the Department of Corrections.
The Prince George’s County Police Department investigates all murders that occur in the town of Capitol Heights.