Texas Wife's Chilling Message Before Her Murder
In a case that shocked the Houston community, a wife's ominous warning was found after her murder, pointing investigators to the man responsible: her husband. Chi Thi Lien Le, 29, feared for her life as her marriage with Curtis Allen Holliday, 62, deteriorated. Her body was discovered in a commercial freezer, months after she went missing, leading to Holliday's arrest and eventual guilty plea.
Le's Final Message
Before her untimely death, Le typed a haunting letter that investigators would later find. In it, she expressed her fears that her husband would kill her, writing, "If suddenly nobody can find me, or find me dead, please check my husband," as reported by PEOPLE. This chilling message detailed how Holliday had threatened her life "many times," particularly as they were going through a divorce.
Despite a court-issued no-contact order, Holliday had repeatedly violated it. In January 2020, he was arrested and charged with continuous assault after attacking Le twice in late 2019. However, this legal action wasn't enough to protect Le from her tragic fate.
A Chilling Discovery
In April 2020, Le's family reported her missing after they hadn't heard from her for days. A witness told police she had last been seen on April 3. As part of their investigation, law enforcement searched Holliday's business in Houston, where they made a gruesome discovery. Le's body, wrapped in plastic, was found in a commercial freezer. The autopsy revealed her body was "frozen with frost on the skin," according to the Austin American-Statesman, and the medical examiner ruled her death a homicide.
Prosecutors believe that Holliday, after violating the no-contact order, choked his wife to death and attempted to hide her body by storing it in the freezer. Investigators found receipts and photographs linking Holliday to the purchase of the freezer where Le's body was discovered.
Holliday Accepts Plea Deal
In June 2024, just before his trial, Holliday accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. His defense attorney, Dick DeGuerin, argued that Holliday hadn't killed his wife, claiming that Le had taken her own life. According to DeGuerin, Holliday panicked when he found her and, in a bizarre move, placed her body in the freezer rather than contacting the police. This version of events, however, was rejected by prosecutors and contradicted by the evidence.
Despite the defense's claim, the plea allowed Holliday to avoid a life sentence, and he will likely be released in time to help raise the couple's daughter. For Le's family, the plea deal brings some closure, but the question of why her life was tragically cut short remains.
The case of Chi Thi Lien Le serves as a devastating reminder of the dangers of domestic violence. Her chilling letter, written in fear, predicted the very outcome she was desperate to prevent. While her husband has now pleaded guilty, Le's death highlights the importance of protecting those at risk and ensuring justice for the victims of abuse.
References: 'Please Check My Husband': Texas Wife Wrote Chilling Message Before She Was Killed, Stuffed into Freezer | Texas man accepts 10-year sentence for killing wife, hiding her body in a freezer
