Killing of Alexis Sharkey
{{Short description|2020 murder in Houston, Texas, US}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title = Killing of Alexis Sharkey
| location = Houston, Texas, U.S.
| date = {{Start date|2020|11|27}}
| image = Alexis Sharkey 10-22-20.jpg
| caption = Alexis Sharkey in October 2020
| target = Alexis Leigh Robinault Sharkey
| type = Strangulation
| accused = Thomas Sharkey {{small|(deceased)}}
}}
Alexis Leigh Sharkey (née Robinault) was an American 26-year-old social media influencer who was last seen alive around 6{{nbsp}}p.m. on November 27, 2020. The next day, her naked body was found near her home; she had been strangled. On October 5, 2021, her 49-year-old husband, Thomas Sharkey, killed himself as he was about to be arrested.
Background
Alexis Sharkey was born Alexis Leigh Robinault{{Cite news |last1=Stelloh |first1=Tim |last2=Calvin |first2=Amy |date=November 30, 2020 |title=Body of missing Instagram influencer Alexis Sharkey found on Texas road |work=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/body-missing-instagram-influencer-alexis-sharkey-found-texas-road-n1249454 |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190738/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/body-missing-instagram-influencer-alexis-sharkey-found-texas-road-n1249454 |url-status=live }} in Warren, Pennsylvania. She grew up in Youngsville, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Youngsville High School in 2012. In 2016, she graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford with a major in biology and minors in nutrition and psychology.{{Cite news |last=Campion |first=Steve |date=November 30, 2020 |title=Mother of Houston influencer believes her daughter was murdered |work=ABC13 Houston |url=https://abc13.com/alexis-sharkey-found-dead-in-houston-instagram-influencer-woman-missing-texas/8386200/ |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705191859/https://abc13.com/alexis-sharkey-found-dead-in-houston-instagram-influencer-woman-missing-texas/8386200/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=November 28, 2020 |title=Alexis Leigh (Robinault) Sharkey |url=https://www.nelsonfuneralhome.net/obituary/Alexis-Sharkey |access-date=July 4, 2022 |website=Nelson Funeral Home |archive-date=March 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331012419/https://www.nelsonfuneralhome.net/obituary/alexis-sharkey |url-status=live }}
Sharkey worked for multi-level marketing company Monat, which sells haircare, skincare and wellness products.{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Chris |date=October 6, 2021 |title=Husband of Slain Influencer Alexis Sharkey Dies by Suicide as U.S. Marshals Close In on Him |url=https://people.com/crime/alexis-sharkey-husband-dies-suicide-authorities-close-in-arrest/ |access-date=July 4, 2022 |website=People |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190654/https://people.com/crime/alexis-sharkey-husband-dies-suicide-authorities-close-in-arrest/ |url-status=live }} She made regular posts to her Instagram and TikTok accounts. Her mother described her as health-conscious, saying her daughter loved selling organic healthcare products.{{Cite news |last=Ritschel |first=Chelsea |date=November 30, 2020 |title=Alexis Sharkey: Instagram influencer found dead in Texas after going missing |work=The Independent |location=New York |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alexis-sharkey-dead-houston-texas-update-b1764142.html |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705192315/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alexis-sharkey-dead-houston-texas-update-b1764142.html |url-status=live }}
Alexis Robinault and Tom Sharkey had married on December 20, 2019.{{cite news |last1=McBride |first1=Jessica |title=Dead Houston Influencer's Husband Insists Their Marriage Was a Happy One |url=https://heavy.com/news/tom-sharkey-alexis-husband/ |access-date=19 September 2022 |work=Heavy.com |date=2 December 2020 |language=en |archive-date=September 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920173900/https://heavy.com/news/tom-sharkey-alexis-husband/ |url-status=live }}
In October 2020, Sharkey visited Marfa, Texas, with several friends, who later claimed that she was clearly afraid of someone and worried for her safety.{{Cite news |last=Campion |first=Steve |date=December 2, 2020 |title=Husband of Houston Instagram influencer says he's receiving death threats |work=ABC13 Houston |url=https://abc13.com/tom-sharkey-husband-of-alexis-receiving-death-threats-houston-instagram-influencer-marketing/8416301/ |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190753/https://abc13.com/tom-sharkey-husband-of-alexis-receiving-death-threats-houston-instagram-influencer-marketing/8416301/ |url-status=live }} She shared her last Instagram post on November 22, 2020, documenting her travels to Tulum, Mexico.{{Cite Instagram |postid=CH5wWPXBUXY |user=alexissharkey |title=Good morning. Today I decided I’m moving to tulum for the sinks and overall aesthetic. |date=November 22, 2020 |first=Alexis |last=Sharkey |access-date=July 4, 2022 |location=Tulum}} On November 25 she spoke with her mother. On the morning of November 26 (Thanksgiving), the couple shared a meal.
Disappearance and discovery
Sharkey was last seen alive on the evening of November 27. Tom stated, "She understood me. I understood her. We didn't fight when she left. I just told her she couldn't drive under the influence; She left anyhow. This is where we're at."{{Cite news |last=Carpenter |first=Courtney |date=October 6, 2021 |title=Alexis Sharkey murder: Husband of slain social media influencer found dead just before arrest |work=6ABC |location=Houston |url=https://6abc.com/alexis-sharkey-houston-instagram-influencer-murder-is-husband-a-suspect-tom/11090744/ |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705191758/https://6abc.com/alexis-sharkey-houston-instagram-influencer-murder-is-husband-a-suspect-tom/11090744/ |url-status=live }} Sharkey, who friends later said was usually inseparable from her phone, stopped responding to messages and calls.{{Cite news |last=Correa |first=Melissa |date=December 1, 2020 |title=Alexis Sharkey death investigation {{!}} Here's what we know |work=WUSA9 |location=Houston |url=https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/alexis-sharky-investigation-heres-what-we-know/285-2f5aed9f-ff89-40da-9b62-b31de4447999 |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=August 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830182319/https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/alexis-sharky-investigation-heres-what-we-know/285-2f5aed9f-ff89-40da-9b62-b31de4447999 |url-status=live }}
On November 28, Tom told family members that she was missing. He thanked Instagram followers for their help in the investigation while condemning others who said negative things about Sharkey's disappearance.{{Cite news |last=Bonvillian |first=Crystal |date=October 7, 2021 |title=Alexis Sharkey murder: Husband of slain social media influencer found dead just before arrest |work=WSB-TV |location=Fort Myers |url=https://www.wsbtv.com/news/trending/slain-instagram-influencer-alexis-sharkeys-husband-kills-self-cops-serve-murder-warrant/M3NUSM5YAJBWDJQM33FZFJ742Q/ |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190703/https://www.wsbtv.com/news/trending/slain-instagram-influencer-alexis-sharkeys-husband-kills-self-cops-serve-murder-warrant/M3NUSM5YAJBWDJQM33FZFJ742Q/ |url-status=live }} Over the following days, he said that he was receiving death threats and other hateful messages.{{Cite news |last=Neale |first=Spencer |date=December 4, 2020 |title=Houston police gather surveillance video after death of 26-year-old social media influencer |work=Washington Examiner |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/houston-police-gather-surveillance-video-after-death-of-26-year-old-social-media-influencer |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=December 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223125620/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/houston-police-gather-surveillance-video-after-death-of-26-year-old-social-media-influencer |url-status=live }}
Sharkey's nude body was discovered around 8{{nbsp}}a.m. on November 28, in bushes on the 1000 block of Red Haw Lane in the Houston Energy Corridor in Harris County.{{Cite news |date=November 28, 2020 |title=Naked woman found dead on side of road in west Houston |work=ABC13 Houston |url=https://abc13.com/naked-woman-found-dead-west-houston-eldridge-parkway-near-i-10-red-haw-homicides-in/8331041/ |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706020636/https://abc13.com/naked-woman-found-dead-west-houston-eldridge-parkway-near-i-10-red-haw-homicides-in/8331041/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Hensley |first=Nicole |date=November 30, 2020 |title=Body found next to Houston road identified as missing woman |work=Houston Chronicle |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Body-found-next-to-Houston-road-identified-as-15763241.php |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705191317/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Body-found-next-to-Houston-road-identified-as-15763241.php |url-status=live }} Her body was believed to have been left overnight and police saw no evidence that she walked down the road, nor that there had been any attempt to conceal her body. The next morning, Tom identified her body at the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office.
In an interview with ABC 13 Eyewitness News Houston, Tom said that his wife was not as happy as she presented herself on social media, and that he had been struggling emotionally since her disappearance, but that their marriage was happy. He said that he had been cooperating with detectives, but he ended the conversation by saying, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm not a jerk, I'm just destroyed."
Police investigation
About two weeks after the murder, Tom left Texas. When he failed to make funeral arrangements for Alexis, the medical examiner changed her next of kin to her mother.{{Cite news |last=Hecker |first=Ivory |date=December 22, 2020 |title=Mother of Alexis Sharkey describes fight to get custody of the Instagram influencer's body |work=Fox 26 Houston |url=https://www.fox26houston.com/news/mother-of-alexis-sharkey-describes-fight-to-get-custody-of-the-instagram-influencers-body |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=September 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920164554/https://www.fox26houston.com/news/mother-of-alexis-sharkey-describes-fight-to-get-custody-of-the-instagram-influencers-body |url-status=live }} A private funeral was held on December 19; the service was kept secret from Tom.{{Cite news |date=December 19, 2020 |title=Private funeral held for Houston Instagram influencer found dead |work=ABC13 Houston |url=https://abc13.com/alexis-sharkey-funeral-memorial-service-death-investigation-instagram-influencer/8895483/ |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705191114/https://abc13.com/alexis-sharkey-funeral-memorial-service-death-investigation-instagram-influencer/8895483/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Campion |first=Steve |date=December 22, 2020 |title=Houston employee describes finding Alexis Sharkey's body |work=ABC13 Houston |url=https://abc13.com/alexis-sharkey-death-investigation-instagram-influencer-marketing-found/8980081/ |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190856/https://abc13.com/alexis-sharkey-death-investigation-instagram-influencer-marketing-found/8980081/ |url-status=live }} On January 19, 2021, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Science medical examiner's report determined that Sharkey's death was a homicide and she had been strangled.{{Cite web |last=Pelisek |first=Christine |date=January 19, 2021 |title=Instagram Influencer Alexis Sharkey Was Strangled to Death in Homicide: Autopsy |url=https://people.com/crime/alexis-sharkey-death-strangulation/ |access-date=July 4, 2022 |website=People |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190727/https://people.com/crime/alexis-sharkey-death-strangulation/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Burke |first=Minyvonne |date=January 21, 2021 |title=Instagram influencer Alexis Sharkey died of strangulation, death ruled homicide, report finds |work=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/instagram-influencer-alexis-sharkey-died-strangulation-death-ruled-homicide-report-n1255195 |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190753/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/instagram-influencer-alexis-sharkey-died-strangulation-death-ruled-homicide-report-n1255195 |url-status=live }}
After many attempts by police to contact him, Tom agreed to meet detectives in early August 2021 to submit a DNA sample, but failed to do so.{{Cite news |last=Reardon |first=Sophie |date=October 7, 2021 |title=Man wanted for killing his influencer wife found dead in Florida, officials say |work=CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tom-sharkey-alexis-sharkey-husband-dead-gunshot-wound-florida/ |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705192436/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tom-sharkey-alexis-sharkey-husband-dead-gunshot-wound-florida/ |url-status=live }} On September 29, police obtained a warrant for his arrest, later stating that he was the only person who had the means, motive, and opportunity to kill Alexis.{{Cite news |last=Notheis |first=Asher |date=October 7, 2021 |title=Instagram influencer Alexis Sharkey's husband kills himself before arrest by police |work=Washington Examiner |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/alexis-sharkey-husband-kills-himself |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705191347/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/alexis-sharkey-husband-kills-himself |url-status=live }}
On October 5, officials learned Tom was staying with his daughter and her partner in Fort Myers, Florida. On October 6, at about 1{{nbsp}}a.m.,{{Cite news |last=Rai |first=Arpan |date=October 7, 2021 |title=Alexis Sharkey: Influencer's husband found dead after being wanted over her murder |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/alexis-sharkey-husband-tom-dead-b1933808.html |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190719/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/alexis-sharkey-husband-tom-dead-b1933808.html |url-status=live }} Tom learned of the impending arrest; he ran upstairs and killed himself by shooting himself in the head.{{Cite news |title=Police: Husband Of Murdered Texas Instagram Influencer Alexis Sharkey Shoots Himself Before Arrest |work=CBS DFW |location=Houston |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/dfw/news/husband-texas-instagram-influencer-alexis-sharkey-suicide-before-arrest/ |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705191543/https://www.cbsnews.com/dfw/news/husband-texas-instagram-influencer-alexis-sharkey-suicide-before-arrest/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Campion |first=Steve |date=October 8, 2021 |title=Alexis Sharkey's family has a message for her husband's loved ones after his suicide |work=ABC13 Houston |url=https://abc13.com/alexis-sharkey-tom-houston-instagram-influencer-death/11100357/ |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705191459/https://abc13.com/alexis-sharkey-tom-houston-instagram-influencer-death/11100357/ |url-status=live }}
Authorities later said that Tom had been untruthful and evasive with investigators,{{Cite news |last1=Galvan |first1=Jaime E. |last2=Alexander |first2=Chloe |date=October 6, 2021 |title=Alexis Sharkey's husband kills himself after U.S. Marshals attempt to arrest him for his wife's murder |work=KHOU |location=Houston |url=https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/alexis-sharkey-update-husband-found-dead-florida/285-2dd1fce8-6d0c-4930-8bee-7ace18141e65 |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705191005/https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/alexis-sharkey-update-husband-found-dead-florida/285-2dd1fce8-6d0c-4930-8bee-7ace18141e65 |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Pagones |first=Stephanie |date=October 12, 2021 |title=Murdered Houston influencer Alexis Sharkey's mom felt husband was guilty 'pretty much from' beginning: report |work=Fox News |location=Houston and Galveston |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/houston-influencer-alexis-sharkey-husband-murder-death |access-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190739/https://www.foxnews.com/us/houston-influencer-alexis-sharkey-husband-murder-death |url-status=live }} and that there was a history of domestic violence between him and Alexis.