MISSOURI CITY, Texas – Skeletal remains found in a wooded area near a church and neighborhood have been identified as missing Missouri City mother Karen Miles, MCPD confirms.
On Sept. 9, skeletal remains were found in a deeply wooded area during the search for Miles, according to the police department. An autopsy revealed she died from a single gunshot wound and medical examiners had to use dental records to identify her.
Miles was last seen at her apartment in the Missouri City/Harris County area on Aug 21. Missouri City police said Miles never showed up for work on Aug. 22.
Miles’ disappearance
On Aug. 25, Pearland police tracked stolen Arkansas license plates on Miles’ car using flock cameras. Police pulled over the car in an H-E-B parking lot in the Pearland Business Center, where 28-year-old Davante Clark was in the driver’s seat and Miles was nowhere to be found. Police arrested Clark on charges unrelated to Miles’ disappearance and he was booked into the Brazoria County Jail.
At the time of the arrest, Pearland Police did not know Miles was missing. Her children, who live out of state, reported her missing on August 28th after they could not reach her.
According to police, Clark and Miles do not appear to know each other, and it’s unclear how he gained access to her vehicle.
Investigators find remains
Missouri City police said data and investigative work led them to an area near the 16000 block of Blue Ridge Road. While searching a heavy brush and deeply wooded area, skeletal remains were located.
Neighbors told KPRC 2 they didn’t even notice police activity and didn’t realize any body was in the woods.
Remains identified; Clark charged with capital murder
Friday evening, MCPD released the cause of death as a single gunshot wound after the Fort Bend County Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy.
MCPD confirmed that Miles’ family has been notified, but family members didn’t wish to comment.
Harris County prosecutors have accepted charges of capital murder and aggravated robbery. It’s not clear when he could be transferred to Harris County to face charges.
Investigators have not provided any details about the circumstances around the robbery or what led Clark to Miles.
Clark’s connection to similar cases
According to a search warrant KPRC 2 obtained earlier this week, Texas EquuSearch told Missouri City detectives that Clark is the person of interest in two Harris County Sheriff’s Office cases involving stolen vehicles and missing people who still have not been located.
One of those cases is from Oct. 24, 2023, according to records, which is the same day that 40-year-old Destin Henderson and his vehicle disappeared.
While law enforcement has not named Clark a person of interest in Henderson’s disappearance, his loved ones have expressed concern about how his case has been handled.
“This is my daughter and that’s her dad so I’m going to go above and beyond, especially if I don’t feel the police is doing their job,” said Pamela Ealy, who shares a daughter with Henderson and lives in California.
She said Henderson met Clark in the weeks before he disappeared, and they were fast friends with plans for Clark to be Henderson’s personal trainer. As far as she knows, Henderson spent the night at Clark’s before his pre-Halloween disappearance.
She knew Clark’s name, age, date of birth, and in emails obtained by KPRC 2, she shared Clark’s previous addresses with a Harris County Sheriff’s Office investigator last November.
“When you heard that Davante was a person of interest in Karen Miles’ disappearance, what went through your head?” KPRC 2′s Bryce Newberry asked Ealy.
“I was pissed. I was angry and I’m still angry at the Harris County because this family doesn’t deserve this,” Ealy said. “It just breaks my heart... I just feel bad because at first, I’m like, ‘oh my God,’ like this could have been prevented.”
Ealy is still seeking justice for Henderson and hopes he’s out there somewhere, regardless of his condition after nearly a year.
Miles’ family is preparing to lay the passionate and dedicated volunteer to rest.
“Everybody dropped the ball unfortunately, everybody, and it’s just sad that this has happened,” Ealy said.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded with this statement:
“The HCSO Homicide Division did investigate the information that was provided to them implicating Davante Clark as a person of interest. With implicating someone doesn’t automatically mean we can arrest or even detain that person. Additional evidence needs to be gathered. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate this case, and all leads will be followed to the fullest extent of the law. The investigation is still active. We are still seeking information from anyone that may have knowledge about this incident. Call 713-274-9100 or Crime Stoppers at 713 222-TIPS (8477).”