Hurricane exposed brutal murder of Texas mom-of-two who mocked husband's bedroom performance

The tragic tale of Crystal McDowell, a mother-of-two whose life was claimed by her envious ex-husband's actions, might have remained unsolved – if not for the intervention of a hurricane. Overcoming a harrowing childhood, Texas-born Crystal had carved a successful career for herself – first as an air stewardess and then as a real estate agent.

The " True Crime Stories " podcast shares her story: "Crystal McDowell's life was full of turmoil and adversity from the beginning. Born to parents who had named her after the drug crystal meth, she faced a challenging childhood."

"Her parents who died within six months of each other when Crystal was just 11 years old succumbed to complications from AIDS, which they contracted through substance abuse."

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When Crystal was just 13 years old, she endured another grim ordeal when she was kidnapped by a sex offender, confined in a chicken coop, and brutally sexually assaulted. Her escape from the kidnapper was early evidence of the determination she would exhibit throughout her life.

As an adult, Crystal worked as a flight attendant before marrying Steve McDowell, whose affable nature charmed everyone. Friends described Steve as "like a big kid," passionate about fast cars and video games.

Together, they welcomed two children, Madden and Maui, and appeared to have a picture-perfect family. However, as they neared their tenth wedding anniversary, their marriage began showing serious signs of strain.

Chambers County District Attorney Cheryl Lieck revealed to Dateline that Crystal's glamorous job came with its fair share of temptations. They said: "She had numerous lovers throughout her marriage, men and women."

Crystal and Steve decided to part ways, but their shared family home required significant renovations to maximize profit upon sale.

They chose to separate as a couple but continue cohabitating until the house was ready for sale. Now 37 and working in real estate, Crystal plunged back into the dating world.

Despite the circumstances, she and Steve appeared to handle the challenging situation well. Within six months, Crystal started dating a jeweler named Paul Hargrave, and friends told CBS News that she seemed happier than ever.

On August 25th, 2017, Crystal was supposed to meet her family to watch the highly anticipated Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor fight on TV. However, she never showed up.

The last sighting of her alive was a blurry CCTV image showing her getting into her black Mercedes outside Hargrave's house early that morning. Crystal's uncle reported her missing, but before any search could commence, Hurricane Harvey hit.

The massive storm caused catastrophic flooding and over 100 deaths in Texas and Louisiana.

The search for the missing woman was hindered as police resources were diverted, leaving Crystal's family to keep the investigation alive. The case took a turn when Crystal's cousin Jade received a tip-off about a car similar to Crystal's Mercedes being abandoned outside a motel.

Despite challenging conditions, investigators made it to the motel. "[Crystal's] car was parked haphazardly in the parking lot with the keys in the ignition – it appeared that whoever left Crystal's car there did so with the intention of having it stolen," the podcast reveals.

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As the case began to look more like a murder investigation, Chambers County Deputy Cody Hammes interviewed Crystal's ex-husband Steve, who he noted "didn't appear to be acting normal, per se."

Despite their divorce, Steve still wore his wedding ring and seemed unusually calm. However, detectives also had suspicions about Hargrave, who claimed he was showering when Crystal left that morning and didn't see her go.

He provided CCTV footage from outside his house as evidence but gave it directly to the media instead of the police. Further complicating the case, both men failed lie detector tests.

The search was greatly complicated by the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, effectively stalling the investigation.

However, a thorough review of the motel's CCTV footage revealed that Crystal's car had been abandoned by a man who bore a striking resemblance to her ex-husband Steve. After several interviews, Steve made an astonishing proposition to prosecutors – if they allowed him one last night at home with his children, he would guide police to Crystal's body the next morning.

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It was a significant gamble – Steve could potentially harm himself or find a way to escape – but the District Attorney approved the deal. The risk paid off, and the following morning Steve confessed that he'd had a heated argument with Crystal, who had told him she'd been unfaithful throughout their marriage because "he wasn't dominant enough in the bedroom".

Steve admitted that he had strangled his ex-wife in what he claimed was a fit of "sudden passion" – which under Texas law carries a lesser penalty than premeditated murder. In another shocking turn of events, during Steve's trial, prosecutors called the couple's seven year old daughter Maui as a witness.

According to the podcast, Maui described in videotaped testimony how "her parents were engaged in a heated argument about Crystal being with another man". They added: "She testified that during the fight she saw her father place his hands over her mother's nose and mouth. Maui stated that she witnessed her mother struggling to breathe and eventually losing consciousness."

Maui revealed that after her mother stopped moving, her father instructed her to remain in her bedroom and keep the events she had just witnessed a secret. This testimony proved pivotal, as it discredited Steve's "sudden passion" defense, ultimately leading to his 50-year prison sentence.

In an interview with Dateline, Texas Ranger Steven Jeter noted that if not for the hurricane foiling the theft of Crystal's black Mercedes, the case may have gone unsolved. "His plan fell apart with the rain," Jeter stated.