HOUSTON Chaz Blackshear, one of the suspects charged with murder for the deaths of two Houston Yellow Cab drivers, faced the judge for a probable cause hearing Tuesday morning in a Harris County courtroom.
Blackshear and Danielle Hudson, both 21, are charged with two counts of capital murder in the shooting deaths of Mohammed Elsayed, 32, and Blaize Nwokenaka, 50.
Police said Hudson and Blackshear, who met a few months ago after Blackshear moved to the Houston area from Dallas, lured the drivers to the same location, then robbed and shot them all for a few hundred dollars. They said Blackshear was the shooter, but Hudson was the mastermind.
Prosecutor Caroline Dozier said surveillance video captured Nwokenaka s killing.
The surveillance video shows the cab driving into the parking lot of the business, cab pulls up, slows down, then lurches forward, Dozier explained. The female gets out of the cab, looks around while the male gets out and walks around to the driver s side.
Dozier said the video then shows what appears to be a muzzle flash, then both suspects walking to the passenger side of the cab and rummaging through the vehicle. Police believe they lit a fire in an attempt to conceal evidence and took off running.
Hudson and Blackshear were arrested Friday night at the Ashton Park apartments in the 1900 block of Westmeade. Police describe the young couple as a would-be Bonnie and Clyde cold, emotionless, brazen and ruthless.
Though surprised to see the officers, police said Hudson and Blackshear both confessed to killing the drivers and gave information that led investigators to the murder weapon.
Dozier said the unique weapon, a .380 caliber handgun, was reported stolen almost a month ago. The person who reported it stolen named Blackshear as the person they believed to have taken it.
Shell casings matching the gun were found at both murder scenes.
Police said there was also evidence that the couple may have committed prior crimes together.
What s more, police believe the couple would have kept killing, had they not been caught.
Police said Elsayed was shot and his body dumped in the 5400 block of Wheatley on October 12, and his cab was found abandoned about 15 miles away in the 12400 block of Overbrook.
Nwokenaka s body was discovered in his cab in the 12100 block of Overbrook on October 14.
Hudson made a brief court appearance Monday morning.
