A man charged in the 2022 shooting death of a young mother in northwest Harris County is now one of the Houston FBI’s most wanted fugitives after authorities say he jumped bail and failed to appear in court.
Javian D. Paley, 31, was formally added to the Houston FBI Most Wanted list Tuesday afternoon. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information leading to his arrest.
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He is wanted on a murder charge by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from FBI Houston.
#BREAKING Javian D. Paley was just added to the Houston Most Wanted fugitive list! He's wanted for murder by @HCSOTexas and FBI Houston.
— FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) January 20, 2026
There's up to a $5,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Call 1-800-CALL-FBI with tips! #HouNews pic.twitter.com/bZHClXRo1X
Court records indicated that the state first recommended a bond of $250,000 on Nov. 25, 2022—the same day of the alleged shooting. Three days later on Nov. 28, Paley was given a $50,000 bond.
Records show that Paley was granted $50,000 bond in Dec. 2023, just over a year after the shooting. Since that release, authorities say he has been on the run.
The case dates back to Nov. 2022, when Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to an in-progress shooting at approximately 11:47 a.m. in the 8700 block of Point Park Drive, west Harris County.
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When HCSO deputies arrived, they found 22-year-old Lashawn Grays unresponsive inside an apartment with apparent gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel pronounced her dead at the scene.
According to investigators, witnesses inside the apartment told deputies that Paley had forced his way into the apartment and shot her before fleeing.
Investigators soon learned that Paley was Grays’ ex-boyfriend and the father of her 2-year-old daughter.
According to HCSO, Paley was later located the same day in the 400 block of Independence Parkway in La Porte by Harris County Precinct 8 deputies.
He was taken into custody without incident, and a pistol was recovered from his possession.
FBI Houston unveiled its local Top 10 most wanted fugitives list in August of 2025, in an effort to help track down people accused of violent and serious crimes in Houston.
Multiple listed fugitives have already been taken into custody since it was created.
READ MORE: FBI unveils first-ever ‘Houston Most Wanted’ fugitive list
Anyone with information on Paley’s whereabouts is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tipsters may remain anonymous.