Woman Picks a Friend from PRISON for Marriage, He Kills Her Right After Their Wedding | HO

In domestic-violence homicide cases, the most dangerous moment for a woman is often not when she leaves a relationship, but when she chooses to stay. When she believes love, loyalty, or sacrifice can change someone who has already shown signs of instability. For Dishier Stevenson, that belief proved fatal.

On the morning of October 25, 2023, Dishier’s body was found discarded along a roadside in Dallas, Texas. She had been shot in the chest. Within hours, investigators would determine that the person responsible was not a stranger, not a robber, and not a random attacker.

It was her husband.

The same man she had picked up from prison.

The same man she married shortly after his release.

The same man she supported financially, emotionally, and publicly.

The same man she believed she could save.

This is the story of Dishier Stevenson — a businesswoman, a mother, a caregiver — and the chain of warning signs that ended in her death.

A City That Woke Up to Violence

Dallas, Texas is a sprawling metropolitan area known for commerce, culture, and opportunity. But like all major cities, it also carries an undercurrent of violence — much of it hidden behind closed doors.

At approximately 7:20 a.m. on October 25, 2023, Dallas police were dispatched to the 1600 block of Murdoch Road after a caller reported a body lying near the street. Officers arrived to find a woman unresponsive, with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest.

There were no signs of a robbery.

No signs of a struggle at the location.

No witnesses who could explain how she ended up there.

Her identity was soon confirmed: Dishier Stevenson, age 38.

By the end of the day, police would announce they were searching for her husband, Michael Smith, as the prime suspect.

Who Was Dishier Stevenson?

Dishier Stevenson was born on November 16, 1988. To those who knew her, she represented self-determination and resilience.

She was an entrepreneur who built multiple income streams. She owned and operated Shea Money Purses and More LLC, selling clothing, accessories, and beauty products. She promoted her business aggressively online, often documenting her success and encouraging others to pursue financial independence.

But Dishier was not only a businesswoman.

She was also:

A mother to a teenage daughter, Maya

The primary caregiver for her mother, who had suffered a stroke

A financial provider for extended family members

A woman known for generosity and loyalty

Her social media presence reflected pride, optimism, and ambition. She celebrated new milestones openly — securing a new home, expanding her business, purchasing vehicles, and planning future growth.

Friends described her as vibrant, hardworking, and deeply committed to the people she loved.

Michael Smith: The Man She Waited For

Michael Smith was older than Dishier and carried a criminal past. During the years they were together, he spent time incarcerated. While many relationships dissolve under such strain, Dishier remained.

She visited him.
She wrote letters.
She maintained emotional and financial support.

By all accounts, she was steadfast during his imprisonment. She believed in redemption. She believed in second chances. And she believed that loyalty could heal broken people.

When Michael was released from prison in May 2021, Dishier made his return a public celebration. Videos show her emotional reunion with him — tears, laughter, declarations of love.

Within days, they were married.

To Dishier, this was not recklessness. It was commitment. She believed they were beginning anew.

Marriage Built on Unequal Power

Once Michael returned to life outside prison, the imbalance in the relationship became increasingly clear.

Dishier was financially independent.
Michael was not.

Dishier owned businesses.
Michael struggled to find stable footing.

Dishier paid for:

Vacations

Housing

Vehicles

Cash gifts, including a reported $10,000 birthday gift

Publicly, she expressed pride in being a provider. Privately, investigators later learned that Michael’s sense of inadequacy grew steadily.

Friends and family began to notice changes in Dishier.

She became quieter.
More guarded.
Less joyful.

Michael’s behavior reportedly shifted as well. He became controlling. Jealous. Possessive. His substance-abuse issues resurfaced, including alleged PCP use.

This combination — financial dependence, jealousy, addiction, and control — is widely recognized by domestic-violence experts as a lethal risk pattern.

“I Feel Like I’m Going to Die”

Days before her death, Dishier confided in her sister, Jasmine.

According to Jasmine, Dishier said something chilling:

“I feel like I’m going to die.”

The comment was not dismissed outright, but no one imagined how literal it would become.

Around the same time, family members reported that Michael accused Dishier of “setting him up,” exhibited paranoid behavior, and became increasingly unstable.

Despite this, Dishier did not leave.

She had invested years of loyalty.
She believed she could manage the situation.
She believed love would be enough.

The Day She Disappeared

On October 24, 2023, Dishier’s daughter Maya attempted to contact her mother and received no response — highly unusual behavior for a woman who communicated constantly with her child.

Concerned, family members began searching.

Michael was contacted.
He claimed he did not know where Dishier was.
He said he had not seen her.

This statement would later prove false.

Family members located Dishier’s car at the Pleasant Village Apartments — the same complex where Michael’s father lived. The vehicle was parked oddly, fueling suspicion.

Then came a social-media post reporting that a woman had been shot just minutes away.

The family rushed to the scene.

Discovery of the Body

At the crime scene near Murdoch Road and Melinda Lane, police confirmed what the family already feared.

Dishier Stevenson was dead.

She had been shot in the chest.
Her body had been abandoned.
There was no attempt to call for help.

Family members broke down as officers quietly confirmed her identity.

Evidence That Told the Truth

Investigators quickly determined this was not a random killing.

Inside Michael Smith’s vehicle, they found:

Blood evidence

A spent bullet casing

A single sandal matching Dishier’s footwear

Surveillance footage showed Dishier and Michael arriving separately at the apartment complex. At some point, she entered his vehicle.

Detectives believe the fatal confrontation occurred inside that car.

Where Michael told others he “didn’t know where she was,” evidence suggested he was the last person to see her alive.

A Manhunt and Arrest

Michael Smith fled.

For several days, he evaded law enforcement, moving between locations. When police searched his residence, they found multiple firearms.

Eventually, he was located at a local barbershop and taken into custody without incident.

During questioning, Michael made a claim that raised further concerns: he said he had been under the influence of PCP at the time of the shooting.

Investigators did not accept this as an excuse. While intoxication may explain erratic behavior, it does not negate intent or responsibility.

Michael was charged with murder and held on a $1 million bond.

The Aftermath for a Family

Dishier’s daughter Maya lost her mother.
Her mother lost her caregiver.
Her siblings lost their anchor.

The man responsible was not an outsider. He was the husband Dishier stood by during his lowest moments.

Her family has since spoken openly about the warning signs they wish they had recognized sooner — the paranoia, the jealousy, the emotional abuse.

They are determined to ensure Dishier’s life is remembered for more than the way it ended.

A Pattern Seen Too Often

This case follows a tragically familiar pattern:

A woman supports a partner through incarceration

The power dynamic shifts after release

Jealousy and control escalate

Violence follows

Domestic-violence experts consistently warn that post-release periods are among the most dangerous times for intimate partners.

Dishier’s story underscores that reality.

Justice Still Unfolding

Michael Smith remains in custody as legal proceedings continue. His trial will determine sentencing, but no outcome can restore what was taken.

Dishier Stevenson was not reckless.
She was loyal.

She was not weak.
She was compassionate.

And that compassion cost her life.

Final Reflection

Dishier believed love could fix what prison could not.

She believed loyalty could heal insecurity.
She believed sacrifice would be rewarded.

Instead, it placed her in harm’s way.

Her story is not just a crime report. It is a warning — one written in loss — about the danger of ignoring red flags in the name of love.

And it leaves behind a question that lingers far beyond Dallas:

How many women are still waiting, believing, and hoping — unaware of how close they are to danger?