A 46-year-old woman, at one time the personal assistant to Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was found dead in her Dallas apartment this week, and her husband of two months has been charged with killing her.
Jenean Chapman was found dead on Monday after failing to show up for work. Her employer called police for a wellness check. Investigators said she may have been dead for several days.
Chapman’s sister, Crystal Marshall, told KTVT that Chapman moved to Dallas about five months ago for the new job. Family said she married 48-year-old James Patrick, who was arrested in Austin on Wednesday, about two months ago but had known one another for nearly six years.
“The most we can just say is that the relationship was toxic,” said Nicole Marshall, another sister.
Family said Chapman was born in New Jersey and lived in New York before moving to Texas. She graduated Syracuse University with a degree in TV, film, and production.
“Her first job out of college was working with Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. So she worked with the royal family as a personal assistant, and then from there, she worked at Def Jam, so she worked with the Simmons family,” said Crystal Marshall.
Ferguson posted on Facebook when she learned about Chapman’s death.
“Jenean was loyal, hardworking, beautiful and fun and my heart breaks for her family and friends,” the duchess wrote. “I heard from her just a couple of months ago and she seemed so happy.”
Patrick is being held on a $100,000 bond in Travis County and will be returned to Dallas to face a murder charge, WFAA reported.
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