A woman in Texas is facing murder charges after killing a young woman unexpectedly. Courtney Smith called police to say that she had committed the crime and was waiting for deputies when they arrived. That’s when the case took an interesting turn. Deputies realized it wasn’t the first time they’d been to the address and that Smith had previously been acting out of the ordinary. However, there are still details emerging about the shooting as police continue to investigate.
Currently, it is unknown if there was a motive or what it could have been. For now, the young woman’s family is mourning her loss while Smith sits behind bars.
It’s rare a suspect calls the police on themselves.
Arrest update:
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) May 19, 2026
The victim has been identified as Maysie Murphy (21).
The defendant has been identified as Courtney Smith (5-5-71). @HCSOTexas Homicide Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators responded to the scene and conducted their investigation. Smith was charged with… https://t.co/gb7EcLhwYH pic.twitter.com/MLYcbOVmBC
Deputies from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a home on May 18, 2026, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez shared in a news release on social media. When deputies arrived, they found an adult woman “possibly in her 20s” dead from an apparent gunshot wound.
According to a report from KTRK, the call came in around 3:45 p.m. The sheriff’s office noted that a woman called for assistance. Deputies at the scene spoke to the woman, who they believed made the call, and she told them she had killed her granddaughter and the granddaughter’s boyfriend. However, there was no man in the home.
In a follow-up post, Gonzalez identified the suspect as 55-year-old Courtney Smith. The victim was 21-year-old Maysie Murphy.
“Harris County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators responded to the scene and conducted their investigation,” Gonzalez wrote. Smith was charged with murder after allegedly shooting and killing Murphy, an “acquaintance” of hers.
Smith was taken to Harris County Jail.
During a news conference, Major Ben Katrib said both Smith and Murphy lived at the home, but it is owned by a couple that is out of town, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Katrib said there was no “indication that a boyfriend even exists,” and that authorities don’t believe the two women were related.
“The deceased female is like a granddaughter to the couple who live here, but not by blood,” he explained. He said the couple may have met Smith online and allowed her to live with them.
According to Katrib, Courtney Smith called law enforcement on May 18 around 1:30 p.m., about two hours before the shooting. She said she was “seeing demons and things of that nature,” KTRK reported. Authorities claim the deputies didn’t have enough information for an emergency detention order, despite asking “all the right questions.”
The parents of Maysie Murphy released a statement.
In the statement, they confirmed that Murphy and Smith were not related and that Smith was a friend of the homeowners, KHOU 11 reported. They described their daughter as a unique and lovable person who would be missed by many.
“Maysie loved and was loved by anybody who’s ever come in contact with her,” her father shared. “The world is definitely a darker place without her. Taken from us so early. The hole and hurt are felt by so many; may our daughter rest easy.”
“She was such a great sister to her siblings and always there when someone needed her. She would light up any room she walked into,” her mother added in the statement. “To know her is to love her. Genuine, kind, outgoing and had so many goals in life. She marched to the beat of her own drum and didn’t care what others thought. She will be dearly missed.”
Murphy’s sister also paid tribute on social media. “My little sister gained her angel wings. We were just talking about how excited you were for the wedding coming up, I know you will still be there with me in spirit,” she wrote. “Life is not fair and this is very hard to understand. Our hearts are shattered. I love you forever Maysie.”
