Dallas police have arrested James Patrick, 48, in connection with the death of Jenean Chapman, a former assistant of the Duchess of York.
Patrick was booked in the Travis County Jail and will face a murder charge, CNN cited police sources.
As of the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 1, 2023, he was still being held on a $100,000 bond.
Chapman, 46, was found dead in a Dallas apartment on Monday, Sept. 25 but the following day police said the medical examiner’s office ruled her death a homicide.
Chapman worked as an assistant for Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York in the UK, years ago.
Ferguson said she was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of the promising Black woman.
“Jenean was loyal, hardworking, beautiful and fun and my heart breaks for her friends and family,” Ferguson said.
Dallas police did not outline any motive in the case and did not say whether Chapman and the suspect knew one another or had any relationship.
However, other reports on Chapman’s death say Chapman was married briefly to Patrick.
Chapman’s family told NBC News she was married to Patrick for a few months, and they had been in a turbulent relationship for years.
There had not been a wedding when the couple married, they said, and it came as a surprise, the report sad.
Her sister Nicole Marshall said: “We were shocked because before that it was an on-and-off relationship. It was rocky, we were aware of that.“
“The most we can just say is that the relationship was toxic,” she added.
Another sister, Crystal Marshall, said even though she defined an independent black woman, she had retained a sweet softness in her personality.
In an Instagram post, Crystal Marshall wrote the following tribute:
“She had so much to look forward to and impacted so many people in her life. Even though her presence is no longer with us her light will continue to shine in our hearts and fond memories we have of her.”
