Case overview
Alexis Sharkey, a 26-year-old social media influencer with nearly 30,000 Instagram followers, was found dead on the side of a Houston road on November 28, 2020. Her husband, Tom Sharkey, became the primary suspect after investigators documented a pattern of control and violence. Before he could face trial, Tom Sharkey died by suicide in October 2021 as US Marshals closed in to arrest him.
The discovery
A city sanitation worker spotted Alexis Sharkey’s naked body along the 1000 block of Red Haw Lane in west Houston on the morning of November 28, 2020. There were no visible signs of trauma. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences later ruled the cause of death strangulation.
Alexis had last been seen alive the evening before, on Thanksgiving night. Friends said she attended a small gathering and left around 6:00 p.m. Her mother, Stacey Robinault, told investigators she spoke with her daughter by phone that night and sensed something was wrong. Alexis sounded upset but did not say why.
The marriage
Alexis and Tom Sharkey had been married less than a year. Friends and family described the relationship as troubled. Alexis confided to close friends that Tom was controlling. She told her mother she planned to leave him.
In the days after her death, Tom Sharkey gave interviews to local media in which he described Alexis as his “everything” and denied involvement. He said they were happy and dismissed rumors of marital problems. Those statements conflicted with what friends and family told investigators.
Court records later revealed that Alexis discussed divorce with friends in the weeks before her death. Text messages obtained by police showed she expressed fear of Tom and concern about how he would react if she left.
What investigators found
Houston police began treating Alexis Sharkey’s death as a homicide after the autopsy results were finalized. Investigators interviewed friends, family members, and associates who described escalating tension in the marriage. Multiple witnesses told detectives that Tom was possessive, monitored Alexis’s phone, and became angry when she interacted with others online or in person.
One friend told police that Alexis had stopped posting as frequently on Instagram in the months before her death. Another said Alexis confided that Tom had physically harmed her during arguments. A third recalled Alexis saying she was afraid of what Tom might do if she tried to leave.
Police examined the couple’s financial records and communications. They found that Tom had been struggling with money and that the couple argued about finances. Witnesses said Alexis supported much of their lifestyle through her influencer work and brand partnerships.
Investigators obtained surveillance footage and cell phone location data that placed Tom in the area where Alexis’s body was found during the hours after she was last seen alive. The evidence suggested she had been moved to that location after her death.
The arrest warrant
In September 2021, nearly 10 months after Alexis’s death, a Harris County grand jury indicted Tom Sharkey on a murder charge. An arrest warrant was issued, but Tom had left Houston. Investigators tracked him to Fort Myers, Florida, where he had been staying with relatives.
US Marshals were dispatched to execute the warrant. On the morning of October 6, 2021, they located Tom at a residence in Fort Myers. As they moved in to apprehend him, Tom barricaded himself inside. Marshals heard a single gunshot. When they entered, they found Tom Sharkey dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The questions that remain
Tom Sharkey’s death closed the criminal case but left critical questions unresolved. Investigators never publicly detailed the exact sequence of events on the night Alexis died. No weapon or physical evidence directly tying Tom to the strangulation was disclosed in court filings available to the public.
Witnesses and family members were left without the opportunity to testify in court. The prosecution’s case, built over months of investigation, was never presented to a jury. Alexis’s mother told reporters she wanted answers that would now never come.
Friends who spoke with Alexis in the final weeks of her life said they wished they had intervened more forcefully. Some expressed guilt for not recognizing the severity of the situation. Others said Alexis downplayed the danger, likely out of fear or a desire to protect her image online.
The case highlighted the gap between the curated life Alexis projected on Instagram and the reality of her private struggles. Posts showing luxury travel, beauty products, and an aspirational lifestyle contrasted sharply with accounts of isolation and control described by those closest to her.
The aftermath
Alexis Sharkey’s death drew national attention, in part because of her social media presence and in part because of the circumstances surrounding the investigation. Her story became a cautionary example of how online personas can obscure domestic violence and coercive control.
Her family established a foundation in her name to support victims of domestic violence. They advocated for increased awareness and resources for people in similar situations. Alexis’s mother became vocal about the warning signs she said she missed and urged others to take threats and fears seriously.
Houston police noted that the case underscored the importance of victim testimony and corroborating evidence in domestic violence investigations. Without Tom Sharkey alive to stand trial, the full scope of what happened to Alexis may never be documented in a legal record.
Where to look next
- Documentary: “Social Media Murders” (Investigation Discovery)
- Podcast: “Crime Junkie” (Audiochuck)
- Podcast: “Dateline NBC” (NBC News)
