HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Family and community members gathered to remember a mother who was found shot to death in her home in the Hearthstone neighborhood in northwest Harris County.
Heather Smith’s death touched so many lives. Family members told KPRC 2 Reporter Corley Peel she did not know Christopher Braziel, but we’ve learned he also lived in the neighborhood.
Braziel is currently in jail without bond, but neighbors have now put together a petition to make sure he can never leave jail.
Walking through the neighborhood, singing somberly, loved ones gathered to remember Smith Sunday.
“This warms my heart that my daughter is loved and respected to this point,” her mother said.
Smith’s cousin, Brittny Smith, shared her legacy.
“Heather was a light. I call her, you know, a spunky firecracker she was known for, just being, supportive and headstrong and incredibly strong. You know, she was a big part of our family sticking together. She was some of the glue that kept our family together,” Smith said.
The tragedy unfolded after Smith’s boyfriend found her shot to death inside her home off Beechmor Drive on Friday, August 30. Neighbors quickly checked surveillance cameras. Police spotted a man matching Christopher Braziel’s description outside her home the day before Smith’s body was found.
Surveillance video obtained by KPRC 2 shows Braziel walking up to a neighbor’s driveway the day after Smith’s body was found. A close look reveals he had a gun outside his waistband. The neighbors say he later returned, with their doorbell camera capturing the moment they confronted him.
During the brief encounter, the homeowner asked, “Looking for someone?” Braziel answered, “I had the wrong house,” and the homeowner replied, “No worries.”
Surveillance footage from about an hour later shows an officer driving by the home, just missing Braziel as he passed in his truck. Braziel was arrested the following day. Now, his neighbors are rallying together, petitioning to ensure that he doesn’t receive bond at his upcoming hearing in November.
Mary Alice Kahanek, one of Braziel’s neighbors, voiced the community’s concerns.
“We cannot let this guy out on bail, bond,” Kahanek said. “We have to keep him in as long as possible.”
Neighbors shared with KPRC 2 that Braziel has previously been on other neighbors’ properties while carrying guns. They also mentioned observing him displaying bizarre behavior on multiple occasions.