Homeless man charged in death of woman to be held without bail
A homeless man accused of killing a homeless woman near downtown Houston will remain behind bars without bail, a judge ruled Friday.
Harold James Lowdins, 44, was charged with murder after DNA testing linked him to the death of 41-year-old Bridgette Danelle Mercer.
Her body was found in January in a shallow ditch next to Buffalo Bayou, near a homeless camp in the 1900 block of Runnels.
In court, prosecutor Paula Hartman said investigators believe Lowdins choked Mercer and beat her to death. Lowdins’ DNA was found after a sexual assault examination of the body, Hartman said.
Defense attorney Eric Davis said Lowdins has maintained his innocence.
“We’re investigating all of the allegations,” Davis said after the brief hearing.
State District Judge Maria Jackson ruled that Lowdins would be held without bail after hearing the preliminary facts during the arraignment.
Mercer’s partially clothed body was found about 11 a.m. Jan. 26, according to court records.
Lowdins denied ever seeing Mercer, Hartman said.
The prosecutor said witnesses saw Mercer and Lowdins together at the same homeless camp before her death, which led police to collect a DNA sample.
That DNA matched bodily fluid found on her body, and Lowdins was arrested Monday.