HOUSTON – A 28-year-old man is facing murder charges after authorities said he shot a couple because one of them was going to testify against his brother.
Darius Gilmore is charged with capital murder.
What happened
On June 4, 2017, authorities said Gilmore shot 26-year-old Robert Watkins and 24-year-old Sydnece Prymus to death at a Greenspoint-area apartment.
According to court documents, Prymus was found dead on the bed. The medical examiner said she died of a shotgun wound to her head.
Watkins was found dead in the bedroom closet, according to court documents. The medical examiner said he died of multiple gunshot wounds.
A witness claimed Watkins was Gilmore's uncle.
Gilmore was questioned at the scene. According to court documents, he told authorities that he was playing video games with Watkins at the apartment on June 3. He said Watkins took him home around 9:30 p.m. He was then released from the scene.
After the shooting
Police said the couple's vehicle, several guns and Sony game system were missing from the apartment.
A day after the shooting, the couple's vehicle was found at a park at 9201 Veterans Memorial Drive, less than a mile from where Gilmore told authorities he was staying with his girlfriend.
Second questioning
On Aug. 15, 2017, Gilmore was questioned by police. During the interview, police said he admitted to being present at the apartment at the time of the shootings. He said he was in the bathroom when Watkins opened the door. He said he heard two voices telling Watkins to get down and asking where the money is, according to court documents. Gilmore said he hid in the bathroom and heard multiple gunshots.
Police said Gilmore was not able to explain how the people he said were responsible for the home invasion didn't find him in the small bathroom.
During the interview, Gilmore told police that when he left the bathroom, he saw Prymus' feet on the bed, didn't check on the couple, didn't call the police and took the couple's car and left the scene, according to court documents. He also admitted to ditching the vehicle at the park, court documents said.
Third questioning
On Oct. 4, 2017, Gilmore was interviewed again. During this interview, he told investigators that he took a shotgun from the apartment and sold it for $50, according to court documents.
Witness comes forward
On Aug. 6, 2019, a witness told investigators that Gilmore met with him on the night of the shootings. According to court documents, the witness said Gilmore showed up at his apartment and asked for a ride to the park on Veterans Memorial Drive. The witness said Gilmore walked into the woods and returned with a backpack and a long gun that was wrapped in a sheet.
The witness said Gilmore later approached him and said he had two handguns, a shotgun and a Sony game system for sale, according to court documents. The witness said he bought the game system for $60. Investigators said the serial numbers on the witness' game system matched the device that was owned by Watkins and Prymus.
The witness then told investigators that Gilmore admitted to shooting Watkins and Prymus, according to court documents. Gilmore said he had to "smoke them" because Watkins was going to testify against his brother in a murder case, court documents said.
What's next
Gilmore was arrested Wednesday. He appeared in court Wednesday night, where a judge ordered him to be held without bond.