Karen Miles, a 61-year-old African American woman from Missouri City, Texas, was last heard from on the night of August 21, 2024. She was known for her active involvement in the community, particularly with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's Black Heritage Committee. Her sudden disappearance raised immediate concerns among her family and friends, especially given her medical condition as a diabetic requiring regular insulin injections.
On August 22, 2024, Karen failed to report to work, an uncharacteristic absence that prompted her family to report her missing on August 28. Investigations revealed that on August 25, Pearland police had arrested 28-year-old Davante Clark. Clark was found driving Karen's Ford Explorer, which bore stolen Arkansas license plates. At the time of his arrest, Clark provided false identification and was in possession of a firearm, leading to charges unrelated to Karen's disappearance.
Further inquiries uncovered that Clark and his girlfriend, Maya Taylor, had been living out of her car and frequently parked at the Hometowne Senior Living Apartments, where Karen resided. Taylor recounted that on the morning of August 22, around 5:30 a.m., she observed Clark approaching a gray SUV in the apartment's parking lot. He later returned with the vehicle, believed to be Karen's, and instructed Taylor to follow him to Roane Park, where he abandoned the SUV.
On September 9, 2024, acting on investigative leads, Missouri City Police discovered skeletal remains in a densely wooded area along Blue Ridge Road near Highway 90. The Fort Bend County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the remains as those of Karen Miles and determined the cause of death to be a single gunshot wound. Subsequently, charges of aggravated robbery and capital murder were filed against Davante Clark.
Court documents indicate that Clark approached Karen at gunpoint in the parking lot of her senior living complex as she was entering her vehicle. A witness reported seeing Clark enter the SUV with her. Investigations also linked Clark to two other missing persons cases involving stolen vehicles, where the individuals remain unaccounted for. These connections have raised further concerns about his involvement in other unsolved cases.
Karen Miles' tragic death has left a profound void in her community, with family and friends mourning the loss of a woman remembered for her generosity and active civic engagement. Her sister, Patricia Evans, expressed the family's grief, emphasizing the senselessness of the act and the hope that Karen did not suffer.
