Brian Hagberg
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Tom Sharkey, husband of murdered Youngsville graduate Alexis Sharkey, was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. Marshals confirmed Wednesday.
Tom Sharkey was wanted for the November 2020 murder of Alexis Sharkey.
“U.S. Marshals located (Tom) Sharkey at a residence in Fort Myers and later found him dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot inside of the residence,” the Marshals said in a statement.
Alexis Robinault Sharkey, 26, a popular social media influencer who moved to Houston in January 2020, was strangled, according to the Harris County (Texas) Institute of Forensic Sciences.
Alexis Sharkey’s body was discovered by a City of Houston public works employee along the side of a road on Nov. 28.
During a press conference Wednesday, Houston police said Tom Sharkey was the lone suspect in Alexis Sharkey’s murder.
“We have clear evidence that Mr. Sharkey acted alone,” Det. Michael Burrow said. “Unless some new bombshell lead comes along that reopens that door, ultimately we believe the case will be cleared by the death of (Tom Sharkey).”
Police said Tom Sharkey was the only person with the means, motive and opportunity to commit the murder. The couple was likely headed toward a divorce, police said, and there was a history of domestic violence, though no official police reports had been filed.
Burrow added that the warrant issued for Tom Sharkey had been kept secret and that Tom Sharkey didn’t know he was wanted for Alexis Sharkey’s murder until he was confronted by U.S. Marshals Tuesday night.
“Because of the high profile nature of the case, and because Mr. Sharkey had been evasive with us throughout much of our time, we went very quietly about obtaining the arrest warrant,” Burrow said. “Mr. Sharkey also did not know that he was wanted until last night when he was confronted by law enforcement.”
Alexis Sharkey’s mother, Stacey Clark Robinault, posted to Facebook on Nov. 28 that Alexis was missing. Alexis Sharkey’s identity as the woman discovered earlier in the day had not been determined at the time of the post. Robinault’s post garnered more than 10,000 shares.
Robinault told a Houston ABC affiliate in November that she believed foul play was involved in her daughter’s death.
“I would like to emphasize that this has been a very tragic series of events for both families, the Robinaults and the Sharkeys,” Burrow said. “They’ve been through hell, essentially.”
