Houston influencer Alexis Sharkey's husband killed self as feds moved in to arrest him for murder: authorities

Thomas Sharkey, the embattled husband of Texas social media influencer Alexis Sharkey, fatally shot himself as law enforcement agents moved in to arrest him in connection with the woman’s murder, authorities announced. 

Houston Police officials say they obtained evidence that led them to believe Thomas Sharkey killed his wife on the night of Nov. 27, amid marital tension and a history of domestic abuse. The 26-year-old woman’s naked body was discovered in the bushes along a Houston roadway the next morning. Further investigation determined she had been strangled to death, officials said at the time. 

"The investigation determined that Thomas Sharkey, her husband, is the only person who had the means, motive, and opportunity to have committed the murder. We were able to eliminate other suspects that came up, some of which were brought up by Mr. Sharkey," Houston Police Department Homicide Detective Michael Burrow said during a Wednesday news briefing. "There was also clear evidence that Thomas Sharkey had not been truthful about some key issues, and statements that he made to police."

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Nearly 10 months later on Sept. 29, authorities had gathered enough evidence to obtain an arrest warrant charging Sharkey with Alexis’s murder. 

Agents with the U.S. Marshal Service located Thomas on Tuesday night at a relative’s Fort Myers, Florida apartment, but he "ran upstairs when he learned law enforcement was there for him."

"There was no confrontation," Burrow explained. "He simply went upstairs. The marshals were aware by talking to the family that there were firearms in the house and he had access to them. So, they waited and tried to talk him out and eventually, determined that he had taken his own life."

He added that no other people are suspected of being involved in the murder of Alexis Sharkey. And Thomas Sharkey’s relatives who had been hosting him in their home "did not know that he was wanted in the case at the time."

"I would like to emphasize that this has been a tragic series of events for both families, the Robinaults and the Sharkeys," Burrow said. "They've been through hell essentially with the attention of the public from this case."

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Burrow described how Sharkey left Texas "not long after" Alexis’ death. Over the summer, when detectives asked to meet with him to collect a DNA sample, he was living in Georgia and agreed to do so. 

"Suddenly, he no-showed, dropped off contact, came up with a very bizarre story later on about why he essentially disappeared," Burrow said.

Burrow said there was "no one bombshell piece of evidence that suddenly shifted everything in our favor."

"The investigation was very lengthy. There's a lot of different pieces of circumstantial evidence. A lot of things that have had to come through," Burrow continued. "Mr. Sharkey's behavior and their conversations with him over time ... and the ability to disprove stories. That took time and eventually, the mountain of evidence essentially just became high."

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The U.S. Marshal Service on Wednesday announced in a statement that the agency was executing a warrant after obtaining information from Houston law enforcement that led them to Sharkey's location, where they found him dead. 

Alexis Sharkey, whose maiden name was Robinault, had amassed Instagram followers over time for her posts about beauty products. As of Thursday, her account boasted about 88,5000 followers. 

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The couple was estranged and Thomas Sharkey had asked a landlord about removing his name from the lease, Burrow told reporters. While separated, they had not yet filed for divorce. 

"He was interested in reconciling their relationship, and she did not appear to be," Burrow said.

Friends and loved ones spoke out at the time about how the couple would fight and had been experiencing marital issues.