HOUSTON, TX – A shallow grave turned crime scene has led to the arrest of Derek Fischer, 31, on charges of murder and tampering with a corpse, according to Houston Police Department (HPD). Fischer is accused of the homicide of 45-year-old Jennifer Ramirez, his former girlfriend.
The uncovered remains of Ramirez were found on April 22 near an apartment complex on Fuqua close to the Gulf Freeway, former residence of the accused. Her body was discovered shrouded in a tarp and a shower curtain.
Striking details leading to Fischer’s arrest were rooted in a chilling note found in his apartment by an employee of the apartment complex. The note contained claims of Fischer sexually abusing a minor and made ominous mention of Ramirez’s resurrection. Following Fischer’s eviction, the employee further noted a suspicious stain in the apartment, later confirmed by HPD investigators to be human blood.
Supporting evidence in the investigative trail came from a nearby resident. A recording she provided contained heightened threats of murder suspected to originate from Fischer’s apartment.
One of HPD’s homicide detectives noticed an unusual break in the boundary fence close to the ex-residential unit of Fischer. The resulting search around a nearby creek introduced the detective to a suspiciously out of place blue tarpaulin. A shallow grave, concealing Ramirez’s body, lay beneath this cover.
Surveillance footage from the apartment complex showed Ramirez vacating Fischer’s apartment, last seen on March 18. This is speculated to be the last sighting of her before the unfortunate circumstances of her demise.