A 48-year-old man tied up and then fatally shot six children, his ex-wife and her current husband after breaking into his former home in Houston through an open window, police say.
David Conley surrendered to police early Sunday morning after firing shots at officers during a standoff following the killings, according to police. Conley was the father of at least one of the children found dead inside the home, and he has a history of domestic violence against one of the adult victims, Valerie Jackson, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said they responded to the Falling Oaks Road home for a welfare check and forced their way into the home after seeing the body of one of the juvenile victims through a window. Conley allegedly fired at the deputies, and they pulled back. He surrendered after an hour-long standoff, police said.
Police said Valerie Jackson’s husband, Dwayne Jackson, and her six children children, including Conley’s son, Nathaniel Conley, 13. Also killed were Dwayne Jackson Jr., 10, Honesty Jackson, 11, Caleb Jackson, 9, Trinity Jackson, 7, and Jonah Jackson, 6.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. He Was Arrested in July After Allegedly Smashing Jackson’s Head Into a Refrigerator While She Protected Her Child
PIC: Deputies arrest man after they tell us 5 kids, 3 adults found dead in NW Harris County. @KHOU #KHOU11 #HouNews http://t.co/tMKt73CnXF
Conley’s history of domestic violence arrests date back to at least 2000, according to the Houston Chronicle. He was most recently arrested in July when he allegedly smashed Valerie Jackson’s head into a refrigerator multiple times. She was trying to take a belt away from Conley that he planned to use on one of her children as punishment for staying out too late, police said.
Conley’s criminal history. (Harris County Court)
He also threatened to kill Jackson in 2013, according to court documents posted by the Chronicle.
According to the Harris County Jail, Jackson was wanted on a warrant from July charging him with assault on a family member.
His criminal record dates back to 1988.
2. He Wrapped an Electrical Cord Around a Baby’s Neck in 2000 & Threatened to Kill the Baby’s Mother
Conley in a Facebook photo from 2010. (Facebook)
Conley also threatened to kill a woman, who was then his girlfriend, in 2000, according to Harris County records acquired by the Houston Chronicle. During that incident, police said he wrapped an electrical cord around a baby’s neck.
He said, “that he was going to kill her, their baby and himself,” according to the court documents.
3. His Anger Over Locks at Jackson’s Home Being Changed May Have Led to the Killings, Police Say
Valerie Jackson was one of the victims shot and killed. She was the suspect’s former girlfriend. (Facebook)
Conley told police he recently found out that the locks on Jackson’s home were changed and was upset about that, according to The Associated Press.
“We do not — cannot — fully comprehend the motivation of an individual that would take the lives of so many innocent people. Especially the lives of the youngest,” Harris County Chief Deputy Tim Cannon told the AP. “The killer’s motives appear to be related to a dispute with Valerie, who was a former domestic partner.”
Police said Conley entered the home through an unlocked window.
4. Valerie Jackson’s Husband Also Had a History of Domestic Violence Against Her & Conley
#Breaking – David Conley charged w/ 8 murder counts including 1 for a person under 6 years old. #HouNews http://t.co/fkRZraUcHe
According to the Houston Chronicle, Valerie Jackson and her husband, Dwayne, also had a history of domestic violence incidents. In October 2012, she filed for an emergency protective order against Dwayne Jackson, who she described then as her estranged husband. They had four children together, according to court documents.
She said Dwayne Jackson took her son’s social security and food stamps and hit her in the face several times in June 2012. He also said he would bomb or set fire to her house or “shoot her house up,” if she leaves, the Chronicle reports.
Dwayne Jackson was also convicted of criminal mischief in 2012 after he threw a brick at David Conley’s car, according to the Chronicle.
5. Conley Is Being Held Without Bond
David Conley in a 2013 mugshot. (Harris County Sheriff’s Office)
Conley was charged with capital murder with multiple victims, capital murder and capital murder of a victim under 6 years old. He is being held without bail, according to Harris County Jail records.
He did not appear in court during his first hearing on Sunday.
