Walden Whitaker is being held on $500,000 bail for stabbing his wife, Dolores Kelly, to death in a Franz Road apartment, court records show

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – A man who was imprisoned three times for assaulting his wife is now accused of her murder.

Walden Whitaker, 41, is in jail on $500,000 bail for stabbing his wife Dolores Kelly to death.

Kelly was found in the bedroom of her apartment on Franz Road near Katy on September 1.

Court records show that the video contradicts Whitaker's testimony and that alcohol played a role.

“There's just a piece missing. It feels like you've just gotten over the worst heartbreak of your life,” Leneka Kelly said in an interview with ABC13 reporter Jessica Willey.

She and Kelly's sister, Lequisha Kelly, said they felt betrayed.

“We thought things had changed and he was getting better,” Leneka Kelly said.

“He bought her another ring just a few months ago,” Lequisha Kelly said. “But I guess he painted a beautiful picture, but how can you love someone you kill?”

The couple were together for 14 years and there were problems. According to court records, Whitaker was sentenced to prison three times for assaulting Kelly. The last time was in 2017. Her family thought that was behind them, they say. Now they wish they'd never given him another chance.

“Just go away. Go away. It's not worth it. It's not worth your life. Your family staying here is not worth the pain. No one who loves you is going to hurt you,” said Leneka Kelly.

The family hopes this message will be heard by someone who needs it while they wait for justice for Dolores.

“She loved this man nothing else until she died. That's the worst part,” said Leneka Kelly.

Whitaker is due back in court on December 4.

If you need help getting out of a domestic violence situation, call the Houston Area Women's Center's 24-hour hotline at 713-528-2121 or the AVDA at 713-224-9911. You can also click here to chat with an advocate online. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and need help, call 713-528-3625.

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