Sarah Ferguson assistant's husband accused of killing her as family mourns death
Police have released a picture of a man accused of killing his ex-wife who was an aide of Sarah Ferguson's.
Police discovered the body of 46-year-old Jenean Chapman in her downtown apartment in Dallas, Texas on Monday after she didn't show up to work. Chapman had recently become an Austin resident, taking a job for a local company.
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. Chapman's husband, James Patrick, 48, was arrested and has been charged with her murder.
Patrick was apprehended by the University of Texas Police 200 miles away from where the crime occurred, in Austin, Texas. He is currently being held at North Tower Detention Facility in Dallas County.
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Patrick had been married to Jenean Chapman for just two months before her death and their relationship was described as toxic by the deceased's family. Crystal Marshall, one of Chapman's three sisters said: "We're just in shock, and we're trying to gather ourselves and collect all the missing pieces of information."
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James Patrick (pictured), 48, is accused of murdering his wife, Jenean Chapman (Dallas County)
Jenean eloped two months ago - which came as a shock to her family (Crystal Marshall)"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. "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.
Speaking of Patrick, Crystal said: "He pretty much checked himself into a hospital. That's how we were able to find him. We are relieved, we have been in constant contact with the detective, and he made us aware of the arrest. 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."
Sarah Ferguson shared a photo of her with Jenean from 2003 (Getty Images)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.
Chapman's first job out of college was prestigious - she became the longtime assistant for Sarah Ferguson (NBC 5)"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.
The Duchess paid an emotional tribute to her ex-aide (Crystal Marshall)“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.
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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.
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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