Social Media Influencer’s Death Ruled Homicide By Strangulation, Officials Say

Alexis Sharkey’s nude body was found on the side of a Texas road two days after Thanksgiving.

Alexis Sharkey [KTRK-TV]

Alexis Sharkey [KTRK-TV]

By: Aaron Rasmussen

An autopsy has determined Alexis Robinault Sharkey, whose nude body was discovered in some bushes on the side of a Texas road in November, died by strangulation.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Science also ruled the Houston-based social media influencer’s manner of death as homicide.

Sharkey, 26, reportedly spent Thanksgiving with close friends, but the last time any of them heard from her was the next evening, November 26.

One woman from the group, Chealsea Turnbow, 33, claimed her boyfriend then received a call on November 27 from Sharkey’s 49-year-old husband, Tom.

“He just said, you know, ‘Lex, she left the house. We got into an argument. I don’t know what’s going on. Can you have the girls reach out to me?’” Turnbow told Houston’s KPRC-TV.

That same night, Stacey Robinault learned her daughter’s friends and husband had reported the influencer missing.

“One friend said, ‘I ran over to her apartment and she’s not there, and we were supposed to meet up,’” Robinault recalled in an interview with KPRC-TV. “When you start to hear these stories and you just know that’s not right, something’s wrong — she’s never that far away from her device; [she’s] standing up her friends; [her] husband doesn’t know where she is, all of that. All of that strikes fear.”

According to Houston’s KTRK-TV, Tom Sharkey went on Facebook after the disappearance and posted about his wife. “My world! My everything! I'm so lost right now! My one and only!” he allegedly wrote.

Despite the loving sentiments, Kendra Martin, 33, told the Daily Beast that she sensed something had been wrong in the relationship because her friend’s “demeanor had changed.”

“I know [Alexis and her husband] were going through some things," Martin said of possible marital issues between the couple — allegations Tom Sharkey has denied. “She had mentioned being separated even though they were still living in the same apartment.”

On November 28, the Houston Police Department confirmed the news that a public works employee had discovered the missing woman’s body the day before near a road minutes from her home.

The Houston Police Department has made no arrests or charges in the case, which is still under investigation.

Sharkey, who had tens of thousands of followers on Instagram, was known for her posts about health-based haircare and skincare.

“She was a bright light, she had this warmth about her that was indescribable, everyone she met was drawn to her loving nature,” Martin said of her friend.

She then promised: “We will get justice for this horrible crime.”

Next Up

Texas Woman Wanted For Hiring A Hitman To Kill Husband

Margaret Lorrain Smith stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 185 pounds when she vanished. She has a mole on the right side of her hairline and a small mole under her right eye. She's currently on the Texas Department of Public Safety's Top 10 Most Wanted for capital murder. If you know where she's hiding out, please call our hotline. Host John Walsh guarantees you can remain anonymous: 833-378-7783 (3-PURSUE).

Suspect For Whom Two Murder Warrants Issued in Austin Cases is Also Implicated in Third Murder in Mexico

Two murder warrants issued for same suspect in a six month period. Authorities were also looking into the possibility that Pedro Espinoza was allegedly involved in another murder in Mexico. If you have any information on Espinoza please contact our hotline directly. You can always remain anonymous and you can text information 24/7: 833-378-7783 (3-PURSUE).

True Crime News Roundup: Pregnant Woman Fatally Shot Two Weeks Before Her Due Date

Plus: Brian Laundrie’s father joins the search for his fugitive son; a group of investigators believe they’ve identified the Zodiac Killer; and a convicted con man on the run for decades is possibly spotted at a Dodgers game.

5 Things To Know About Andrea Yates, The Mom Who Drowned Her 5 Kids In The Bathtub

On June 20, 2001, mother of five Andrea Yates drowned her children, who ranged in age from six months to seven years, in the bathtub at her home in Houston, Texas.

Migos Rapper Takeoff Dead After Houston Shooting

In the early morning hours of Nov. 1, 2022, the 28-year-old rapper was shot and killed outside a bowling alley in Texas.

UPDATE: Fugitive From Texas Wanted For Murder And Rape Arrested

Hector Ramirez-Lopez is in custody and faces felony charges for murder and sexual assault-rape.

True Crime News Roundup: George Floyd’s 4-Year-Old Grandniece Shot While Sleeping In Bed

Plus: Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is found guilty of fraud; investigators crack the 1995 cold case murder of a Georgia schoolgirl; police name a suspect in the shooting death of Memphis rapper Young Dolph; and a judge overturns a Pennsylvania man’s murder conviction after 37 years.

Classmate Charged In Cheerleader's 1982 Stabbing Death

The high school football captain dating a beautiful cheerleader is a stalwart of small-town tradition, but what happens when a handsome athlete harbors evil in his soul?

Hunt Continues For Fugitive Who Murdered 18-Year-Old Na'Kia Crawford In Ohio

Investigators say Adarus Black has connections to Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan and California. His arms are covered in tattoos. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please call or text the IN PURSUIT hotline. John Walsh guarantees you can remain anonymous: 833-378-7783 (3-PURSUE).