According to court documents, Christopher Leman Jr. beat his mother and father at their home after they took him in despite warnings from another son.
HOUSTON — A man charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of his parents last month will likely remain behind bars until his next court appearance.
A judge set bond for Christopher Leman Jr., 47, at $4 million Sunday night. The suspect’s court-appointed attorney asked for a $100,000 bond.
Leman was arrested on Sunday, more than five weeks after deputies with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office found Christopher Leman Sr., 75, dead and Mary Leman, 73, critically injured. She died two days later.
The couple was found near Crosby Lynchburg Road on Friday, July 11, after another son from out of state asked HCSO to check on them because he couldn’t reach them.
According to court documents, both Christopher Leman Sr. and Mary Lemon were beaten to death with a baseball bat. Christopher Leman Sr. also had stab wounds, according to court documents, and a folding knife with blood on it was found near his body.
The couple’s other son, Michael, said he warned his parents not to let Leman live with them because “he could hurt y’all.” The father told him not to worry because he had a baseball bat if Leman tried anything. Michael told investigators that his brother is “bipolar, extremely hyper and explosive.”
Despite the warnings, the couple took Leman in a few days before they were killed.
Red flags leading up to killings
Hours before the Lemans were found dead, deputies with the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office questioned Christopher Leman at an Academy store. An employee reported a suspicious person after they said Leman tried to buy a gun and made a “vague threat.”
Leman was held on an emergency detention order but later released on a personal recognizance bond.
The U-Haul truck Leman drove to the Academy was towed. HCSO investigators later found a metal baseball bat inside the truck.
Investigators also found multiple abusive messages sent from Leman to his parents in the days leading up to the killings. Cell phone records also showed Leman was in the home when his parents were killed, according to court documents.
He was formally charged with capital murder on Friday, August 15, and arrested on Sunday, August 17, following a manhunt.
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