Body of Missing Texas Realtor Crystal Seratte McDowell Found, Ex-Husband Charged With Murder

Authorities in Texas believe remains found Saturday in a wooded area are those of missing realtor and mother of two Crystal Seratte McDowell, who disappeared the day before Hurricane Harvey hit the state.

Officials with the Chambers County Sheriff's Office also confirmed in a press release that Crystal's ex-husband, Steven McDowell, is being charged with murder in connection with Crystal's death.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Jeff Walters, Crystal's uncle, shared the news on his Facebook page Saturday night.

He and his wife raised Crystal after her parents died when she was 11, and the two worked together at Virginia Malone & Associates, LLC.

"She is a light in the heavens that can never be extinguished," Jeff wrote. "She is an Angel that watches over us all with that bright smile."

Related: Family Searches for Texas Realtor Crystal McDowell Believed Missing Before Storm

Crystal was last seen the morning of August 25 leaving her boyfriend's home in Baytown, Texas. The alarm was sounded early that Friday when Crystal stopped responding to messages, calls and texts.

The 38-year-old was always prompt in returning messages, whether they were from a client or a family member.

Jeff told Dateline in the days after Crystal disappeared that he contacted Crystal’s ex-husband Steven, with whom she was sharing a residence in Baytown, Texas, while work on her townhouse was being finished.

“He said she had sent him a message saying she was coming to pick up the kids to go to Dallas, but she didn’t show,” Jeff told Dateline. “We aren’t sure she sent those messages to him, though. She never told me of plans to go to Dallas for the storm.”

Crystal was featured in Dateline's Missing in America's series shortly after she disappeared.