Families mourn dead couple

Their relationship deteriorated in recent months, a friend says

Friends and family offered an outpouring of grief Sunday after a troubled Houston couple with infant triplets died in an apparent murder-suicide.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed the deaths of Solomon Morrow and Kendra Moore, whom police found dead Saturday in their home in the 4900 block of North Cancun in southwest Houston.

“This is so heartbreaking,” said Jennifer Shilo, a close friend of Moore’s. “I never thought it would go this far.”

Moore and Morrow moved to Houston from Chicago a few years ago. Morrow, a lawyer, earned a law degree in 2014 from Texas Southern University.

Moore, who had a 9-year-old daughter, and Morrow, who had three sons, had recently become parents to triplets. Child Protective Services confirmed on Saturday that the agency was involved in a case at the home that involved placing a 9-year-old and three other children with a relative.

The Harris County medical examiner did not release the cause of death Sunday, making it uncertain who carried out the apparent murder-suicide.

Shilo, who met Moore about two years ago, said Moore’s relationship with Morrow appeared to sour in the months after her pregnancy. Moore had al-

ways been naturally bubbly but became depressed as the relationship deteriorated and planned to move back to Chicago to live with her father, Shilo said.

“Kendra was a very, very sweet person,” her friend added.

Andre Sanders heard of the tragedy online.

“I knew Mr. Morrow from high school, here in Chicago,” he told the Chronicle. “At the time Solomon was a great young man. Full of energy and smarts. And that’s what I’ll remember him as.”

A family member reached by phone Sunday declined to comment. “Right now, it’s a really difficult time for us,” she said.

As news spread, friends of both Morrow and Moore took to Facebook to mourn.

Moore “was a sweet person, known her since high school,” wrote Nathina Williams.

“I’m trying so hard to wrap my mind around this horrible news,” wrote Kathy Stewart Ezell.

Donieshia Wade told the Chronicle that she’d attended high school with the woman she described as a “caring, loving mother.” A devout woman, Moore would pray with her friend over the phone, and they’d sometimes read the Bible together, Wade said.

Wade met Morrow during a class reunion in 2015. “He wasn’t very social,” she said. “And he would follow her around as she would interact with others.”

She said that Moore was always optimistic but admitted the couple had faced some struggles regarding personal and financial issues.

About a month ago, Moore flagged down and exchanged phone numbers with her neighbor, Willanda Sykes. Sykes said it appeared Moore was “afraid of something.”

“She looked like she was trying to reach out for help then, but I didn’t pick up on it,” Sykes said. “I said, ‘How are you doing?’ She said, ‘I wish I could say things were better. They’re not.’ ”

Sykes said Moore had made reference to Morrow, but said Moore quickly ended the conversation after Morrow opened the door to the house.

“She was like, ‘Got to go.’ ” Sykes said. “She said, ‘Text me.’”

Multiple TV stations reported the 9-year-old daughter was the one who found her mother and step-father dead.

“I think we probably could have saved her,” Sykes said. “I feel so bad.”