Woman's Chilling 911 Call Failed to Trigger a Welfare Check Before 21-Year-Old Was Murdered—Victim's Family Mourns

A delusional Texas woman has been charged with murder after she fatally shot a woman living with her. Identified as Courtney Smith, the 55-year-old woman shot 21-year-old Maysie Murphy. The accused also claimed that Murphy was her granddaughter, but they were not related. Moreover, Smith had called the police before the murder and told them that she was “seeing demons.” According to Click2Houston’s report, Smith made the call around 1:30 p.m. Sunday before the murder. The murder could have been prevented if she had been given the right help. However, the information she provided to the authorities was not alarming enough for them to do a welfare check. At that time, the officers could not proceed with an emergency detention order.

Arrest update:

The victim has been identified as Maysie Murphy (21). The defendant has been identified as Courtney Smith (5-5-71). @HCSOTexas Homicide Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators responded to the scene and conducted their investigation. Smith was charged with… https://t.co/gb7EcLhwYH pic.twitter.com/MLYcbOVmBC — Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) May 19, 2026

Later, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office received a call about the murder on Monday afternoon. Smith requested to meet the deputies as she wanted to confess to her crime. The investigation started on Monday around 3:48 p.m. According to the police report, Smith shot Murphy and her boyfriend. His body was not found at the Texas residence in the 17800 block of Adlong Johnson Road near U.S. 90 in Crosby. The couple who owns the home was out of town, and Smith and Murphy were temporarily sharing the space. The victim was a friend of the homeowners. As for Smith, she may have contacted the homeowners online who allowed her to stay in their residence. When the police arrived, Smith told them she had killed her granddaughter and her boyfriend.

Officials identify Crosby murder suspect accused of shooting woman after previously saying she was ‘seeing demons’ https://t.co/7BYk5wAF7L

— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) May 20, 2026

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed Smith has been charged with murder. She is booked in the Harris County Jail and will appear in court on Thursday. She has been denied bail by a judge, so she’ll remain in custody. Murphy’s family has been devastated by the loss. Her mother revealed she was a good sister to her siblings and was always there whenever someone needed her. Murphy’s father added that whoever came in contact with her loved her. He called her a little hippy, “You could never tell what she was going to do or wear next.” He added, “The world is definitely a darker place without her. Taken from us so early. The hole and hurt are felt by so many; may our daughter rest easy.”