A 33-year-old Texas woman was fatally shot in Houston after her husband allegedly became entangled in a cocaine-related scam that police say led to a violent act of retaliation.
According to court documents cited by local media, Sherry Dawson was killed on the morning of November 5 inside a storage facility in northeast Houston. Authorities believe she was targeted because of actions taken by her common-law husband, Matthew Jasso, who admitted to involvement in illicit drug dealings.
Police allege that Kip Stitts (57), a former friend and business associate of Jasso, carried out the killing. Stitts was formally charged with murder on January 16, but remains at large, according to investigators with the Houston Police Department.
Court records indicate that roughly one month before Dawson’s death, Stitts had planned to scam a cocaine supplier introduced to him by Jasso. Instead, Jasso allegedly warned the supplier, and the two are accused of stealing approximately $125,000 from Stitts during the deal.
Investigators say Jasso acted as a middleman, accepting the cash under the pretense of exchanging it for cocaine. The supplier allegedly paid Jasso a $10,000 setup fee, while the remaining funds were taken.
After the alleged scam, Jasso told police he learned that Stitts was searching for him. Authorities believe Stitts instead located Dawson.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows the suspect following Dawson in a pickup truck to a storage unit near the Eastex Freeway. Video reviewed by investigators shows a struggle, with Dawson falling multiple times before the suspect fled and gunshots were heard.
Police found Dawson with gunshot wounds to her head, neck, and arms, with shell casings indicating the shooting occurred at close range.
Jasso later arrived at the scene to check on his wife and encountered officers already investigating the homicide. He then disclosed his alleged involvement in narcotics activity and identified Stitts as a suspect, prompting a broader investigation.
Authorities later stopped a vehicle registered to Stitts, but he was not inside. Investigators believe he fled to Detroit the following morning and may have been monitoring Dawson’s residence prior to the killing.
According to her obituary, Dawson was a business owner and mother of five.
The investigation remains ongoing.
