Man arrested for murder after human remains link him to mom, son reported missing in 2022
A missing 8-year-old boy has been found safe and his father was jailed this week on a murder charge in connection to the killing of the child's mother, according to Texas law enforcement.
Michael Dean Davis Jr. was arrested last week in Laredo, a city on the Mexican border in southern Texas, the Leon County Sheriff's Office announced in a news release. The sheriff's department is in Centerville, a city about 380 miles northeast of Laredo.
Davis, 27, was transported to the Leon County Jail where he was being held on a $4 million bond Tuesday in connection to the death of Mahogany Washington, 27, officials said. Davis is also charged with aggravated kidnapping in connection to her son, sheriff's office Lt. Dee Craft told Paste BN.
According to authorities, Washington's family alerted the sheriff's office June 19 that they had not seen or heard from her or her son since July of 2022.
Washington and her son were then entered into the National Crime Information Center as missing, officials said.
Woman's remains found on property in Buffalo, Texas
On Oct. 22, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a property in Buffalo, Texas, where a person's remains were recovered. The city of Buffalo is about 15 miles northwest of Centerville.
The remains were sent to The Center for Human Identification at The University of North Texas and, according to the Laredo County Police, were identified as belonging to Washington.
The investigation then led to a search for Davis, who officials said they suspected in her killing.
Officials have not released Washington's cause of death.
Suspect, missing 8-year-old found inside Laredo home
On Nov. 12, based on a tip, the sheriff's office, Laredo police and U.S. Marshals confirmed Davis and his 8-year-old son were living at a home in south Laredo, the Laredo Police Department reported.
“The investigation revealed that Davis was likely armed and was a possible threat to his son," the police department wrote in an email to Paste BN.
Officials from multiple local, state and federal agencies arrested Davis at the home.
The 8-year-old child was found unharmed, taken in for a medical assessment and placed into the custody of Child Protective Services, officials said.
During a search of the home, law enforcement reported they found AR-style rifles, a dual drum high capacity magazine, ammunition, magazines, ballistic helmets, bullet resistant vests and gas masks.
Laredo police said Davis had been living at the home for about two years. The home was discovered to be "in deplorable living conditions," Laredo police reported.
Laredo police Officer J. Espinoza said Davis also faces a felony charges of abandonment and endangerment of a child in Webb County.
Davis was then extradited back to Leon County.
It was not immediately known when he was due in court or whether he had obtained an attorney in the case.
Paste BN has reached out to the Leon County District Attorney's Office and the Webb County District Attorney.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for Paste BN. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.