Man Charged Death of Pregnant wife, Confessed To Strangling her

Texas Man Charged with Murder of Estranged Pregnant Wife

Matthew Sowders was formally arrested by police for the murder of both his pregnant wife and her unborn child from her boyfriend only hours after divers pulled her body out of Cypress Creek. The stream of water is accessible via the backyard of her residence. Admittedly, it appears likely that Sowders murdered his wife Melissa.

However, police moved to arrest Sowders even before the autopsy had been conducted on Mrs. Sowders to establish the cause of death. While it’s not being reported, the marriage was an interracial one and Mrs. Sowders was white.

Investigators called Jason Sanford, Melissa’s current boyfriend, not long after they discovered the body.

“The detective called me asking what kind of tattoos were on her and so I explained a couple of the tattoos that I could remember, stars that were on her side and a tattoo of Matt’s name on her waistline,” Sanford told KHOU.

It took the efforts of Texas EquuSearch divers who work on a volunteer basis to cap the six-day search for Melissa. A neighbor reported to police that she had stopped by to visit her only to find Matthew answering the door. Before he closed the door, she saw what she believed to be female legs from someone who had to be lying on their back.

According to KHOU, in court early Friday morning, prosecutors said two women heard separate confessions from the suspect on the day after Christmas when Melissa vanished.

One said she went to his apartment and saw what she believed to be a woman’s body from the doorway.

“When she looked past [Matt] towards the hallway she observed what she believed to be the feet and lower legs of a female lying on the floor of the apartment,” the prosecuting attorney said.

The other witness said she received a visit from Sowders.

“She said that the defendant told her he had strangled Melissa to death after she pulled a gun on him. He told her he blacked out. When he came to, she was dead. He said he stuffed her into a large black trash can and transported her to Cypress Creek. And there he submerged her body,” the prosecutor said.

Authorities plan to try Mr. Sowders for his life under second-degree murder charges which will include the murder of her unborn child. The couple had were high school flames, but the marriage soured and Matthew filed for divorce this past fall.

The family was finalizing plans for a funeral that will be held next week.

On The Web:

Matthew Sowders Charged With Murder Of Pregnant Estranged Wife After Body Is Found
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/03/matthew-sowders-murder-pregnant-wife-melissa_n_4536040.html?

Prosecutors: Husband confessed to strangling ex-wife, dumping body
http://www.khou.com/news/local/matt-sowders-appears-in-court-following-arrest-for-wifes-murder-238591591.html