Delano Burkes brother arrested, charged for shooting 2 family members
HOUSTON - The brother of a missing person, Delano Burkes, who was found dead in December 2022 has now been arrested and charged with shooting two family members.
BACKGROUND: Search continues for Delano Burkes seen on video running away from Heights area bar
According to charging documents, Stephen Burkes was arrested Friday morning in West Houston and charged with murder and aggravated assault against a family member. The shooting occurred around 12:30 a.m. Friday at a home near Eldridge Parkway and Westheimer Road.
"We have one adult male, I believe in his 50s deceased on the scene," said Lt. R. Willkens from the scene Friday morning. "We have another female, who is in her mid-40s, who has been shot numerous times. She’s in a local hospital. We’re praying for her."
Sources confirm with FOX 26, the woman shot is Stephen Burke’s mother, Karen Jeffley. While the man shot and killed was Jeffley’s boyfriend.
"Our suspect has had mental problems in the past," said Lt. Wilkens. "They were thinking he was acting strange today and somehow got a hold of a pistol. We don’t exactly know how it occurred or what occurred, but we do believe that he’s the one that shot his mother and the male. [We’re] not sure in what order."
For several weeks, the mysterious missing person case of Delano Burkes captivated Houston. Surveillance video taken from a bar in the Heights showed the 26-year-old stumbling and almost running as he left. His lifeless body was located roughly a month later in the Houston Ship Channel.
MORE Missing man Delano Burkes' body found in Port of Houston, family confirms
On December 9, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner tweeted about Delano’s case. In the tweet, Chief Finner said they were waiting for final autopsy results. Adding, "We have been in frequent contact with Delano’s family, updating them on the facts uncovered in our investigation, and that all signs point to Delano’s death being a tragic accident."
The Burkes family has held several press conferences over recent weeks involving Delano’s disappearance of which Stephen Burkes attended alongside his mother.
A member of the family released this statement:
No one in the family has actually had the time to grieve the loss of Delano. I ask that you all be mindful of the family before releasing headlines that blurs or shapes a particular perspective.
Stephen has never behaved in such way and has always been known to stand up for others who had been bullied or miss treated. Never had a history or having any Ill feeling towards women, especially his mom. We are all in shock and confused about what happened.
Stephen has been dealing with some mental issues and has been exhibiting some form of bipolar-ness but never anything this extreme. I can attest to him taking the death of Delano extremely hard.
There was no altercation or aggressive behavior between Stephen and Santiago Wesley or anyone else. I can only describe this is an accident caused by some mental health issue.
With that being said I ask you all again to please be mindful about the headline wordiness.
Police are now investigating what led to Friday morning’s deadly shooting in West Houston involving Stephen Burkes. Sources say Jeffley remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Stephen Burkes made an appearance in Probable Cause Court, where his bond was set at a total of $1 million. Half a million for Aggravated Assault and another for Murder.