Detroit Man Wanted After $120K Cocaine Deal Turns Deadly At Houston Storage Unit

What’s Inside

A Detroit man is wanted after a $120K cocaine deal allegedly led to the deadly shooting of a woman at a Houston storage unit. Police say 57‑year‑old Kip Stitts is accused of traveling to Houston, confronting 33‑year‑old Sherry Dawson at a storage facility on Eastex Freeway, and then returning to Detroit hours after she was shot multiple times.

According to Click2Houston, officers responded to a self‑storage facility in the 6400 block of Eastex Freeway on November 5, 2025, around 10:15 a.m., where they found Dawson with multiple gunshot wounds; she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Court records cited by both KPRC 2 and ABC13 state that Dawson had gone to the unit to pick up items for her common‑law husband, who later arrived to find an active murder investigation.

Investigators say surveillance video shows Dawson driving into the facility just after 10 a.m., with a pickup truck following close behind before the gate closes.

Cameras near the unit reportedly captured a struggle, Dawson falling to the ground, and the suspect running out of frame, which police believe is when the shooting occurred.

Who Is The Detroit Man Wanted After The $120K Cocaine Deal Turned Deadly At A Houston Storage Unit?

The Detroit man wanted after the $120K cocaine deal turned deadly at a Houston storage unit is 57‑year‑old Kip Stitts. Prosecutors in Harris County, Texas, have charged him with murder in the death of Sherry Dawson, but records state he is not currently in custody and is believed to be back in Detroit.

ClickOnDetroit reports that Stitts is a Detroit resident with prior convictions for drug offenses and assault, including assault with a dangerous weapon and aggravated assault, details that prosecutors used when asking for a $1 million bond.

Harris County prosecutors argue that his criminal history, along with the seriousness of the charge and his interstate travel, shows he is a flight risk.

Investigators say phone and travel records show Stitts leaving Houston shortly after the shooting, traveling north out of Texas, and arriving back in Detroit the next day. Location data also allegedly places him near

Dawson’s home before the killing and at the storage facility around the time of the murder, suggesting surveillance and planning rather than a random encounter.

ABC13 additionally reports that Stitts is described in court documents as a former friend and business associate of Dawson’s common‑law husband, who admitted involvement in drug trafficking. Social posts from KPRC 2 and CrimeInTheD on X further echo that he is charged with murder in Texas but remains wanted in connection with the case.

How Did A $120K Cocaine Deal Allegedly Lead To The Houston Storage Unit Murder?

According to court documents, the Houston storage unit murder is allegedly tied to a cocaine deal worth about $125,000 that went bad, leaving the Detroit buyer without drugs and out a large sum of cash. Dawson’s common‑law husband told investigators he acted as a middleman between a cocaine supplier and Stitts, took a $10,000 cut for arranging the deal, and believed his wife was killed in retaliation when the shipment never arrived.

Click2Houston reports that Stitts paid around $125,000 for cocaine, while Dawson’s husband collected the money and was supposed to pass it to a supplier, who would then deliver the drugs to Stitts.

However, investigators say the cocaine never reached Stitts and communications between him and Dawson’s husband suddenly stopped, suggesting the money had been stolen.

ABC13 adds that, according to court documents, Dawson’s husband and the supplier allegedly hatched a plan to steal from Stitts after he mentioned wanting to rob the supplier, turning the high‑value drug deal into a double‑cross. About two weeks before the murder, Dawson’s husband told police he heard that Stitts was looking for him and later told investigators he believed his wife was targeted because of the money he stole from Stitts.

From an investigative standpoint, this alleged sequence—payment, missing drugs, broken communication, and later threats—forms the core of the suspected motive: a violent retaliation over a six‑figure cocaine swindle. For readers, it shows how organized drug deals can spill into everyday locations like storage units and put families in extreme danger, even when they are not directly handling the drugs themselves.

What Primary Sources Confirm The Houston Storage Unit Murder Details?

The main details about the Houston storage unit murder are confirmed by a small set of primary news sources that rely on police statements and court records.

1. Click2Houston (KPRC 2) – Houston’s NBC affiliate

Article: “Detroit man wanted after $120K cocaine deal turns deadly at Houston storage unit.”
Confirms: murder charge against Kip Stitts; location at a storage unit in the 6400 block of Eastex Freeway; November 5, 2025 date and late‑morning timing; identification of victim as Sherry Dawson; alleged $125,000 cocaine payment; $10,000 cut to Dawson’s husband; claim that the suspect never received the cocaine; retaliation motive; phone data showing travel back to Detroit; alleged surveillance of Dawson’s home; footage of the suspect’s truck following her into the facility; struggle at the unit; truck believed purchased in Beaumont; prosecutors’ $1 million bond request and prior convictions.
Earlier article: “Woman dies after being shot multiple times at self-storage unit in northeast Houston.”
Confirms: initial police response, multiple gunshot wounds, and that the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

2. ClickOnDetroit – Detroit’s local outlet

Article: “Detroit man accused of murdering woman at Texas storage unit after cocaine deal.”
Confirms: Stitts’ age (57); his Detroit residence; murder charge in Harris County; not‑in‑custody status; description of Dawson traveling to the storage unit to pick up items; husband’s statement about working as a drug middleman; $125,000 payment and $10,000 cut; missing cocaine; Stitts’ frequent travel between Houston and Detroit; phone data showing him traveling out of Houston and out of Texas after the shooting; allegations that he surveilled Dawson’s home; prior convictions for drug charges and assault.

3. ABC13 Houston – Houston’s ABC affiliate

Article: “Woman murdered at northeast Houston storage unit over partner’s $125K cocaine swindle, police say.”
Confirms: police believe the killing was tied to a $125,000 cocaine swindle involving Dawson’s common‑law husband; Stitts’ identity as a Detroit man charged with murder but not yet apprehended; description of him as a former friend and business associate of Dawson’s husband; surveillance video showing a pickup truck following Dawson into the storage facility; footage of her struggling, falling, and the suspect driving off; husband’s statement about introducing Stitts to a supplier and later planning to steal from him; timeline of the payment and undelivered cocaine; husband’s belief that Dawson was killed because of the money stolen; phone data showing Stitts’ phone pinging in Detroit the day after the murder.

4. Official‑adjacent and social confirmations

KPRC 2 and CrimeInTheD posts on Facebook and X amplify the same core facts: that a Detroit man, identified as Kip Stitts, has been charged with murder in Harris County and is wanted for the killing of a woman at a Houston storage unit.
While these do not replace full articles, they support the narrative and help verify basic identity and charge information.

When you write your blog post, you can strengthen credibility by naming these outlets in your text, linking to their articles, and clearly noting when information comes from court documents or police statements as reported by those sources. This approach aligns well with Google’s Helpful Content and E‑E‑A‑T principles because it shows transparency, fact‑checking, and reliance on original reporting.