Man Reportedly Murdered Girlfriend Out of Retaliation For Protective Order, Prosecutors Said

HOUSTON, TX -- The man who is charged in the capital murder of his 32-year old girlfriend, allegedly killed her out of retaliation for filing a protective order against him, according to court documents.

Jarvis Hickerson, 32, who was arrested Monday for the capital murder of Amalia Alexander, reportedly beat her up earlier this year.

Alexander filed a protective order against Hickerson after that incident, according to prosecutors.

Alexander was last seen when she was leaving her sister’s home with Hickerson on Sept. 19.

She was reported missing the next day after she failed to show up for work, according to police.

Police reviewed surveillance video at Alexander’s apartment complex, which showed Hickerson going in and out of Alexander's apartment complex the night of her disappearance, prosecutors said.

“Investigators called the cell phone of the complainant, no answers,” the prosecutor said. “They then obtained surveillance video at the apartment complex showing the defendant's truck coming and leaving in the early morning around the last contact of the complainant. From what the video showed, (there was) a large object in the bed of the defendant's truck.”

Prosecutors said they searched Alexander's apartment on Oct. 5, and that there were clear signs of a struggle inside.

According to investigators cell phone records led them to Alexander’s skeletal remains in Montgomery County on Nov. 30.

Harris County Sheriff's Office Homicide Investigators said they found evidence at the crime scene that allegedly implicated Hickerson as being at or near the crime scene.

Hickerson was already in jail for violating the protective order when he was charged with Alexander's death.

Hickerson is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 6.

Image: Harris County Sheriff's Office