Detroit man charged in Houston storage-unit killing tied to alleged $125,000 cocaine transaction dispute

Suspect remains at large after Harris County murder charge

A 57-year-old Detroit man has been charged with murder in Harris County after investigators linked him to the fatal shooting of a woman at a self-storage facility in northeast Houston. Court records and investigative filings describe the case as stemming from a high-dollar narcotics deal that unraveled, leaving the suspect accused of retaliating after money changed hands but cocaine did not.

The woman, identified in court records as Sherry Dawson, was found with multiple gunshot wounds at a storage facility in the 6400 block of Eastex Freeway. Police were called at about 10:15 a.m. on Nov. 5, 2025, and Dawson was pronounced dead.

What investigators say happened at the Eastex Freeway facility

Surveillance video reviewed by investigators shows Dawson entering the facility shortly after 10 a.m. and walking toward a storage unit. Records state a pickup truck followed her into the property before the gate closed. Video from the area of the unit captured a physical confrontation between Dawson and a man described by investigators as the suspect. Dawson is seen falling to the ground before the suspect runs out of frame, according to the investigative account.

The suspect, identified in charging documents as Kip Stitts, is accused of shooting Dawson multiple times. Records indicate he is not in custody.

Alleged drug deal dispute and the role described by the victim’s partner

Investigators’ narrative centers on statements from Dawson’s common-law husband, who told detectives he was involved in drug trafficking and acted as a middleman between a buyer and a supplier. In that role, he said he collected payment from a buyer, provided it to a supplier, and the supplier then delivered the product to the buyer.

Court records state Stitts paid $125,000 for cocaine and that Dawson’s partner received $10,000 for assisting with the arrangement. The records further state that Stitts did not receive the cocaine and that communications later stopped.

Investigators wrote that Dawson’s partner believed the killing was retaliation tied to the missing narcotics and money.

Phone data, travel timeline, and vehicle details

Location and phone records reviewed by investigators placed Stitts in the area of the victim’s home before the killing and near the storage facility around the time of the shooting, according to the filings. After the shooting, investigators documented phone records showing travel north out of Houston and out of Texas, with an arrival back in Detroit the following evening.

Prosecutors also cited information that the suspect vehicle was a Ford F-250, believed to have been purchased in Beaumont just days before the killing.

Charge, bond request, and prior convictions cited by prosecutors

Stitts is charged with murder in Harris County. Prosecutors sought a $1 million bond, citing the seriousness of the allegation and asserting that Stitts has prior convictions that include drug offenses, assault with a dangerous weapon, and aggravated assault.

• Incident date: Nov. 5, 2025
• Location: self-storage facility in the 6400 block of Eastex Freeway, northeast Houston
• Charge: murder (Harris County)
• Status: not in custody, according to records

The case remains under investigation as authorities continue efforts to locate and arrest the suspect.