A 42-year-old man from McKinney was arrested after a police search of his home uncovered a woman’s body.
Chad Christopher Stevens is in police custody after a tip led McKinney police to his residence on Pearson Avenue, according to WFAA. Executing a search warrant on the house, which was located in the 600 block, the authorities discovered the dead body of 35-year-old Heather Louise Schwab.
Jail records indicate that Stevens has been charged with tampering with evidence and family violence assault, although other charges may be added as detectives continue their investigation. For now, several details remain undisclosed by police, including how long Schwab had been missing and the circumstances surrounding her death.
One neighbor speculated that Stevens and Schwab were in a relationship.
“It could have been a different woman, but a few months back, there was like a woman… She kind of like followed him around. Just like did whatever he did, but she was like always around, and then a couple of months later, you know, I like stopped seeing her, and I was like, ‘Okay, well, maybe they broke up or whatever happened,’ and that was it,” explained neighborhood woman Carolina Murillo, according to NBC 5 DFW.
“He was like up at all times. Like any time I was going out, leaving the house, or coming in, like he was always outside. Just walking around doing stuff around the yard,” Murillo added.
Another neighbor also noted his atypical behavior.
“Having plastic on his windows, not acknowledging too many people, that’s what it was. … Being parents who have to be aware what your surroundings are and with people like that you have to be suspicious,” said nearby resident Tony Miller, according to Fox 4 KDFW.
Det. Monte Robertson of the McKinney Police Department is heading the investigation into Schwab’s death and has requested anyone with information about the case to reach out at 972-547-2724.
As of September, McKinney PD had logged just four murders this year, according to its monthly report. In nearby Dallas, murder has been on the rise amid an ongoing police officer shortage.
A total of 219 murders and non-negligent homicides have been clocked in 2023 as of November 13, according to data from the City’s crime analytics dashboard. The Dallas Police Department operates with fewer than 3,200 officers despite a City analysis previously stating that Dallas needed about three officers on staff for every 1,000 residents — about 4,000 officers total — to properly maintain public safety.
The strain on DPD resources can be felt most heavily in Downtown Dallas, which sees significantly higher crime rates than neighboring Fort Worth’s downtown area. The latter reportedly maintains public safety in the city center via a dedicated police unit and private security guards.
