A teenage girl is wanted for the murder of a man after breaking into his home, dousing him and his partner with a liquid, and setting them on fire, after already being accused of fatally shooting a disabled 20-year-old woman last year.
On Monday, authorities identified the suspect, 19-year-old Emma Presler, for the Aug.6 death of 33-year-old Devin Graham and the injury of his wife, 26-year-old Karissa Lindros. The woman was brought to the hospital with burns across 70% of her body. The Montgomery County District Attorney's office filed murder charges against the young teen, who is still on the run, on Monday.
Teenage Murder Suspect
The suspect still remains at large and roams free despite there being a warrant for her arrest, Jodi Silva, the spokeswoman for the Houston Police Department, said. Investigators identified the young woman after following eyewitness accounts of a suspect fleeing in a white, four-door sedan.
Lindro's aunt said that she knew Presler, but did not specify how they were acquainted. Police have not yet revealed any information about the suspect's potential motive for the crime. Presler did not have an attorney listed in court records, The Daily Beast reported.
In September 2020, when she was still 18 years old, Presler was also charged for the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old victim identified as Sierra Rhodd, who had disabilities. Authorities said the victim was shot through her bedroom window. A judge later ruled that there was no probable cause to charge the suspect due to a lack of evidence.
The case also included four other people who have been arrested, including Presler's boyfriend at the time of the crime, KSAT reported. Officials said Rhodd had cerebral palsy and had several bullet wounds from the incident. Police said there were multiple suspects who later fled in several vehicles after committing the crime.
Austin McCalla, Presler's boyfriend at the time, was believed to have owned a red pickup truck used as a getaway car. Several residents near Presler's home said they were not surprised by the incident and the young teen's alleged involvement with the case.
One Aline, who wished to keep her identity secret, only to be identified by her middle name, said that issues at the suspect's house never stopped. The 31-year-old resident said many incidents have occurred at Presler's home that suggested prostitution and drug sales.
Brutal, Unprovoked Attack
The attack on Rhodd was believed to have been gang-related, and allegedly targeted the victim's 15-year-old brother, Yahoo News reported. Another nearby resident, Tonya Woods, said she quickly left the area and moved to another Houston home after the murder charges against Presler were dropped.
The 57-year-old said police were frequently at Presler's home and said there have been shootings, assaults, and at least on suspicious fire at the home in recent years. "It's absolutely crazy. But it's also very sad. God only knows what else is going on in that house," the resident said.
Other than the murder charges, Presler has also been faced with theft, drug possession, evading arrest, and failure to appear in court. She had an additional felony warrant for possessing meth in Graham's death.
