Alexis Shuler: 29-Year-Old Washington, D.C. Woman Found Dead in ‘Makeshift Tomb’ Behind Wall
Washington, D.C. mother of three, Alexis Shuler, 29, went missing on Friday, January 10, 2025 after being with her boyfriend and the father of one of her children. Her body was found between a newly built wall in his home. He is charged with murder.
Although Alexis Shuler, 29, didn’t tell her mother that she feared for her life or that there was physical abuse in her relationship with her man, law enforcement paints a different picture: A history of domestic abuse calls responded to by officers in Capitol Heights, Maryland days before January 10, 2025.
That’s the last time the victim’s mother, Tiwana Schuler, saw her daughter, Shuler of Washington, D.C. They were at the younger Schuler’s home to help her move out along with her three children.
Also at the residence, was 30-year-old Devontae Gray, who Schuler shares a child with. Both Gray and Schuler left the home together, according to Schuler’s mother.
The elder Schuler said that a short time later, Gray called her, inquiring about her daughter’s whereabouts.
"I said, ‘the last time I saw her, she got into your truck and left with you.’ He said, ‘Yeah, but she called an Uber from my house.’ He tried to say that, always tried to put everyone in different circles. She went with this person, that person, this person," Schuler told TV station Fox 5 DC
That’s when the elder Schuler suspected something had gone terribly wrong. She reported her daughter missing on January 14, 2025.
When Capitol Heights police showed up to Gray’s duplex, they were confronted with a “weird” odor, which they attributed to “dirty” and unsanitary conditions.
On January 19, officers returned with a search warrant and found a semi-automatic handgun, fresh drywall, acetone, lemon ammonia, and other construction and cleaning materials inside the duplex.
"After removing the drywall, makeshift tomb was discovered under the stairs. There was large plastic bin, wrapped in plastic wrapping, behind large amount of concrete that was poured by the Defendant. After pouring the concrete around the plastic bin, the drywall was placed and faux brick was then placed on the drywall,” court documents describing what officers found read. “The bin was opened and inside human foot was visible, believed to belong to the Decedent," the document states. "She was located under large amount of soil and hay."
After being questioned by police, Gray reportedly admitted to shooting Schuler “two or three times” after the couple got into a spat.
Court documents indicate that Capitol Heights police responded to the couple’s residence more than once for domestic reasons.
"The most recent domestic call was from January 9, 2025. This call was placed by the Defendant who advised that he was having domestic with the Decedent. The Defendant then informed the call taker that he had gun and that if the Decedent entered the home, there was going to be problems," the document states.
“Our first visit in the month of January was on Jan. 9, where we actually saw her driving by the residence when we responded to his call for complaint,” Capitol Heights Police Chief Darryl Morgan said. “So she was alive.”
Gray is charged with first-degree murder and related offenses.