The quiet suburban landscape of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was shattered by a chilling discovery in January 2024. Devontae Gray, a 30-year-old resident, was arrested and charged with the first-degree murder of his girlfriend, 29-year-old Alexis Schuler of Washington, D.C., after her remains were found concealed within a meticulously constructed “makeshift tomb” inside his home. The grim tale unfolded as a missing person investigation, initiated by the Metropolitan Police Department in D.C., led Prince George’s County police to Gray’s residence. Their search uncovered not only Schuler’s remains but also a disturbing narrative of calculated concealment and a chilling confession from Gray himself.
The initial spark of concern for Schuler’s safety ignited when she was reported missing earlier in the week of January 15th. The Metropolitan Police Department, recognizing the possibility of her presence in Prince George’s County, reached out to the local police department for assistance in the investigation. This collaboration proved pivotal as it focused attention on Gray’s residence. On January 18th, investigators acted on this lead, obtaining a search warrant for Gray’s home. What they unearthed inside was a scene far more horrific than they could have anticipated.
The investigation revealed Gray’s painstaking efforts to conceal his crime. Surveillance footage captured him transporting construction materials into his home between January 12th and 13th. Clad in a full-body construction suit and gloves, he was seen carrying items like cement, sheetrock, cinder blocks, plastic bags, and large black storage containers – materials that would later become the building blocks of Schuler’s hidden grave. This chilling premeditation suggests a calculated plan to dispose of Schuler’s body and evade detection.
Adding to the unsettling nature of the crime, an earlier welfare check at Gray’s residence on January 14th had yielded a “weird” smell, though officers at the time attributed it to the generally unclean state of the house. This near miss underscores the lengths Gray went to mask the gruesome reality hidden within his walls. The subsequent search warrant executed on January 19th, armed with growing suspicion, unveiled a more complete picture of the horrific scene. Inside, investigators discovered a semi-automatic handgun, as well as fresh drywall, acetone, lemon ammonia, and other cleaning and construction supplies – a grim inventory of tools used in both the murder and its concealment.
With the assistance of the Prince George’s County Fire Department, investigators began the painstaking process of dismantling sections of the newly installed drywall. Their efforts led to the discovery of a chillingly constructed “makeshift tomb” located beneath the stairs. Inside a bin within this concealed space, they found a human foot, believed to belong to Schuler. This grim discovery confirmed their worst fears and solidified the evidence against Gray. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later determined that Schuler’s cause of death was a gunshot wound.
The methodical nature of Gray’s actions, from the construction of the tomb to the use of cleaning agents in an apparent attempt to erase evidence, paints a disturbing portrait of premeditation. The case stands as a stark reminder of the darkness that can lurk beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives. Gray’s arrest brought a semblance of closure to a case marked by tragedy and deception, but the chilling details of the crime continue to resonate, leaving a community grappling with the horrific nature of the events that unfolded within one of their own homes. The investigation is ongoing, but Gray remains in custody, facing the weight of first-degree murder charges and the prospect of a lengthy prison sentence.
