HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The man charged with murder in connection with the death of a Missouri City woman was in court on Wednesday.
Davante Clark is accused of killing 61-year-old Karen Miles earlier this year. She was reported missing in August and her remains were found about two weeks later.
Pearland police later arrested Clark. They said he killed her and stole her car.
RELATED: Girlfriend of man charged with killing Karen Miles explains link to the victim, court documents say
In court on Wednesday, prosecutors were seeking a hearing for a judge to make a ruling on Clark's bond. They want him to be kept in custody until his trial is over.
He's due back in court on Dec. 2 to see if he'll be held without bond.
The crime
Miles' remains were found on Monday, Sept. 9, behind a church in a heavily wooded area near where Fuqua meets the Fort Bend County Toll Road. An autopsy determined she'd been shot to death.
Clark, 28, was arrested by Pearland police a few days after Miles was last heard from. They initially thought he was driving a stolen car from Arkansas but determined the license plate had been altered and he was actually driving Miles' vehicle. Police believed it was stolen from the Missouri City apartment complex where she lived.
Miles' family had never heard of Clark and didn't understand his connection to the victim. However, the accused killer's girlfriend provided answers when interviewed by detectives. They tracked her down through recorded jailhouse conversations with Clark.
The woman said she moved to Missouri City from Arkansas in July after reconnecting with Clark. She said they were homeless and had been living in her car while she worked delivering groceries. The woman told investigators that they sometimes parked at the Hometowne Senior Living Apartments where Miles lived because it was well-lit and they felt safe.
The woman said that on Aug. 22, Clark woke up around 5:30 a.m. and she saw him running toward an SUV. She claimed he left in the SUV and later returned. But MCPD detectives used Flock license plate readers and determined that her vehicle followed the SUV to the place where Miles' remains were found.
Other cases
According to court documents, Texas EquuSearch considers Clark a person of interest in two stolen vehicle cases involving missing people.
The family of Destin Henderson, who's been missing since October 2023, said they've always suspected Clark was involved in his disappearance. His sister told us the two were friends.
“The day my brother went missing, he told me he was going over to Davante's house to help him move,” Le Annessa Scipio said.
Clark also has previous charges for evading arrest and driving a car without permission, according to authorities.