The boyfriend of a woman found hanging from a dock in Texas has been arrested after he gave an interview where he appeared to sob without shedding tears.
James Hart, 51, has been charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with intent to Impair a human corpse, as reported by KHOU.
Police found the body of 30-year-old Giselle Salazar-Tapia on a boat at the Wharf Marina at Clear Lake on May 31.
Hart was arrested at the marina dock on Thursday and remains in custody on $80,000 bond.
The boyfriend of a woman found hanging from a dock in Texas has been arrested after he gave an interview where he appeared to sob without shedding tears
He told KHOU 11 News in June that he had been living with Salazar and her death was ‘the worst thing that has ever happened’ to him.’
James Hart, 51, is charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with intent to Impair a human corpse
‘It feels like a nightmare you can’t wake up from,’ Hart said as he sobbed and denied having anything to do with her death.
‘I didn’t have anything to do with it and I never would have. I loved Giselle more than anything in the world. We were together 24/7.’
Police said Hart was devastated upon hearing the news, and initially refused to come out of their boat to see for himself.
Investigators believe the mother-of-four’s body was positioned in a way that made it look as though she died elsewhere. They think she was then moved and staged to look like a suicide.
Her body was discovered by her neighbor, Christian Allen, who found Tapia-Salazar half submerged in the water. He pointed out that one of her arms was twisted in an unusual position.
Hart said in June that he had been living with Salazar and her death was ‘the worst thing that has ever happened’ to him’
The victim’s body was discovered by her neighbor, Christian Allen, who found Tapia-Salazar half submerged in the water. He pointed out that one of her arms was twisted in an unusual position.
After further inspection, investigators believe the 30-year-old’s body positioned hanging from the dock in a way that made it look as though she killed herself, and the suspect staged her suicide
‘Because of the position of her arm, we believe she probably passed away somewhere else,’ League City Police Lieutenant Eric Cox told KHOU. ‘Rigor mortis set in and then when she was moved, her arms stayed in that position.’
Police say Salazar was last seen alive on her boyfriend’s boat at about 1.30 am the day her body was found.
Officials had previously responded to disturbances at Hart’s home previously.
The Galveston County Medical Examiner Office has yet to release a toxicology report for Salazar.
The investigation remains ongoing.
