HOUSTON — A man who killed his ex-girlfriend in Houston and then fled to his mother's house in North Carolina in 2020 was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Corey Lewis Campbell was convicted of murder on Friday and sentenced on Monday.
"We stand with the family and mourn for this vibrant young woman who was cut down in her prime for absolutely no reason," Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said. "Far too often, domestic violence leads to gun violence, and it is just senseless."
Campbell shot and killed 33-year-old Darlene Solis on April 28, 2020. After killing her, he left the murder weapon under the bed and drove to North Carolina to meet his mom.
The history
Campbell, 34, moved to Houston from North Carolina in 2016 to work in construction.
He and Solis dated for about three years as Campbell moved around the country working construction jobs.
When Campbell came back to Houston after a job in Utah in 2020, Solis was dating another man but wanted to help him so she had him over at her apartment on West Little York.
The murder
When they were alone at the apartment, Campbell shot her four times with a .40-caliber pistol. He ditched the gun under a bed and drove across the country to meet his mother.
"This was the woman he claimed that he loved, but he killed her in cold blood and then ran off," Assistant District Attorney Ryan McLearen said. "He took a daughter, he took a sister, he took an aunt, and the jury handed down the right sentence."
Campbell met his mother at a Walmart in North Carolina, where he left his car in the parking lot and got in the car with her.
Solving the case
Solis' mother became concerned when she hadn't heard from her daughter in a couple of days so she called her ex-husband, who was a deputy with the Harris County Sheriff's Office, to check on her.
When he showed up at her apartment, he turned on his body cam and entered the unit. He found Solis' body and called Houston police.
The trial
When Campbell was arrested, he waived extradition and was brought back to Texas to stand trial.
Solis' stepfather testified during the two-week trial and his body cam video was used as evidence.
Houston investigators spoke to a witness from North Carolina who told them specific details about the case that were not known by the public, including where the murder weapon was stashed as well as the gun's caliber and brand.
Many members of Solis' large family were in the courtroom during the trial. After Campbell was sentenced, Solis' mother, who sat through the entire trial, gave a victim impact statement. The jurors also heard a letter from one of Solis' brothers, who went to the trial for two weeks before he had to go back to his job with the Army.
Campbell will have to serve at least half of his 40-year sentence before being eligible for parole.
