HOUSTON — The man accused of stabbing his wife to death in west Harris County has died while in custody, according to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Benjamin Pierce, 37, was unresponsive in a holding cell on Saturday and was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, Gonzalez said.
Pierce was charged with murder in connection with the killing of 41-year-old Leslie Ann Pierce. She was a teacher with Katy ISD, according to deputies.
There were no apparent signs of trauma or foul play and Benjamin Pierce was in a single-man cell, according to the sheriff.
Leslie Pierce's killing happened Friday morning in the 3200 block of Painted Meadow Circle near Fry Road. Deputies said a man called authorities claiming he'd stabbed his wife.
The couple's 7-year-old boy was at home when the stabbing happened, but he wasn't harmed.
A motive for Leslie Pierce's killing has not been released, but investigators believe it stemmed from a domestic incident.
The Houston Police Department will investigate Benjamin Pierce's in-custody death, Gonzalez said. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences will work to determine the cause.
Because Benjamin Pierce died while in custody, HCSO's Internal Affairs Division is looking into the incident, which is standard procedure, sheriff's office representatives said in a statement.