Body of Sarah Ferguson's murdered personal assistant 'was there for days'
The family of a woman who was slain in Texas says they were 'blind sighted' by her death, especially as police arrested the husband for allegedly perpetrating the act.
Police discovered the body of 46-year-old Jenean Chapman in her downtown Dallas apartment on Monday, after she failed to show up to work. Chapman had recently become an Austin resident, taking a job for a local company.
"We're just in shock, and we're trying to gather ourselves and collect all the missing pieces of information," said Crystal Marshall, one of Chapman's three sisters. "We're in a state of shock. Definitely feel blindsided. We're trying to be a support system for our mother, but it's just a really hard time," said Nicole Marshall, another sister.
A successful, 46-year-old business woman was killed in Austin, Texas, allegedly by the man she married two months ago (NBC 5)"She's had a plethora of accolades throughout the years, and then in her last role, she was a senior vice president at Critical Mass over digital marketing. Also, in conjunction with that, she was about to start her own business," said Crystal in an interview with NBCDFW.
Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office determined that the cause of death was homicide. They believe the body was there for days before it was discovered. Just a few days later, DPD said 48-year-old James Patrick was arrested in Austin, Texas, by the University of Texas Police and would be charged with murder.
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"He pretty much checked himself into a hospital. That's how we were able to find him," said Crystal. The husband, Patrick, remains in custody. "We are relieved, we have been in constant contact with the detective, and he made us aware of the arrest," explained Crystal. "We're happy at this point that an arrest has been made, but we're definitely not stopping, and we want to get the word out for sure."
"We want this investigation to go smoothly. Jenean deserves justice for what happened to her," said Nicole. While the police didn't release the details on the relationship between Patrick and Chapman, the family revealed that the two were married. "The most we can just say is that the relationship was toxic," said Nicole.
Chapman's first job out of college was prestigious - she became the longtime assistant for Sarah Ferguson (NBC 5)The family explained that the pair had gotten married just two months ago, after an on-and-off relationship for six years. The family says they don't know Patrick very well.
“We were shocked because before that it was an on-and-off relationship. It was rocky, we were aware of that. She broke the news to our mother (about the marriage) and of course, our mother told us and yeah, we definitely didn't see that coming. And no, there was no wedding, so we weren't involved, unfortunately," explained Nicole.
They didn't want to share too much about the relationship as they don't want to jeopardise any incoming investigations or court cases. "We are seeking justice for her, and we are willing to do anything in our power to make sure that happens and seek the fullest extent of the law to make sure this guy stays behind bars," Crystal explained.
"She was a force to be reckoned with, she was a role model. She was an amazing person, and I still look up to her. I always look up to her as like what I wanted to accomplish in my corporate career," cried Nicole. Chapman was born and raised in New Jersey, Jamaica, and lived in New York. She graduated from Syracuse University.
"Her first job out of college was working with Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. So she worked with the royal family as a personal assistant, and then from there, she worked at Def Jam, so she worked with the Simmons family," explained Crystal.
“She was just an accomplished intellectual. She was a kind person and compassionate. She had a heart of mush," said Nicole. "Even though she was an independent Black woman, she was the definition of that, but she had that sweet softness to her as well," described Crystal.
After police found Chapman's body, they said the autopsy determined she died by homicide, and that her body has been in the home for days (NBC 5)The family has set up a GoFundMe to try and gather enough funds to have her body brought to New York for burial and to raise money for the impending trial.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 34 per cent of all women who are murdered every year in the US are killed by an intimate partner. On a global scale, the U.S. ranks 34th for intentional female homicides.
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An average of three women a day are murdered by a partner. The outlook for women of colour is bleaker. Sanctuary for Families, an anti-domestic violence organization, says that "men are murdering Black women and girls at a rate almost three times higher than white women."
To contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline, call 1-800-799-7233, text "START" to 88788, or visit
Anyone affected by abuse and in need of support can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233). Advocates are available 24/7 and can also be reached via live chat on or by texting "START" to 88788 or "" to 22522.
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