Jenean Chapman death: Sarah Ferguson's slain assistant's family accuses husband James Patrick of abuse
DALLAS, TEXAS: Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson’s former assistant Jenean Chapman’s family members suspect her husband of two months, James Patrick, 48, used to abuse the 46-year-old.
Chapman’s sisters are mourning her death while saying their family feels “blindsided” by her death.
Where was James Patrick arrested?
Per Mirror, Chapman married Patrick after six years of an on-and-off relationship. She became a resident of Texas just five months prior to her death.
On Monday, September 25, when she failed to show up for work, police discovered her body from her apartment in Dallas, Texas.
Mirror reported that the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office revealed her body was there in the apartment for days before being discovered.
After determining her cause of death to be homicide, the University of Texas police arrested her husband Patrick from Austin, Texas, 200 miles away from the crime scene. Patrick has currently been kept at North Tower Detention Facility in Dallas County.
The family members and sisters of Chapman think she was in an abusive marriage with Patrick.
Who is Crystal Marshall?
One of Chapman’s three sisters, Crystal Marshall, said to NBCDFW in an interview, "We're just in shock, and we're trying to gather ourselves and collect all the missing pieces of information."
She further added, "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.”
Crystal commented about Patrick, "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.”
She further added, “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."
In an Insta post, Crystal sought donation and alleged "my sister was recently a victim of physical abuse and her life was brutally taken away from her."
What did Jenean Chapman’s other sisters say?
Another sister, Nicole Marshall, said, “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.”
Admitting the family did not know Patrick well, Nicole said, “We were shocked because before that it was an on-and-off relationship. It was rocky, we were aware of that.”
She continued to explain the marriage scenario and said, “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.”
Chapman, who was a Syracuse University graduate, was also looking forward to open her own business. Nicole said, "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," the proud sister beamed and added later, “She was just an accomplished intellectual. She was a kind person and compassionate. She had a heart of mush.”.
Crystal later added, "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.”