Deranged Texas woman, 55, fatally shoots roommate, 21, days after telling cops she was ‘seeing demons’

Nypost · May 20, 2026 · 350 words · By Daniel Cody

Mental Health and Violence Crime and Justice

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What to know about Mental Health and Violence

Deranged Texas woman, 55, fatally shoots roommate, 21, days after telling cops she was ‘seeing demons’ See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 8

Techniques found 3

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Deranged Texas woman, 55, fatally shoots roommate, 21, days after telling cops she was ‘seeing demons’ See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on GoogleA crazed Texas woman gunned down a 21-year-old female she was living with, falsely claiming that it was her granddaughter — and a day after she reportedly told police she was “seeing demons.” Courtney Smith, 55, admitted to…

Common ground

Murphy was found dead on Monday at a residence in the 17800 block of Adlong Johnson Road near US 90 in Crosby, near Houston.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Appeal to Pity: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Mental Health and Violence story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Murphy was a friend of the homeowners, according to KHOU-11?
How does this story connect Mental Health and Violence with Crime and Justice over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/20/us-news/deranged-texas-woman-55-fatally-shoots-roo…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 100% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Pity 80% confidence

Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to pity helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

info Single Source 2

verified Verified 1

info

Claim 1: “Murphy was a friend of the homeowners, according to KHOU-11.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence does not mention the relationship between Maysie Murphy and the homeowners, only that Smith met the homeowners on social media.

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web search NEUTRAL — The people with the most candles in the past 24 hours are featured on our homepage. Ask your friends to light a candle or come back tomorrow to light another candle for Maysie.
https://gunmemorial.org/2026/05/18/maysie-murphy

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web search NEUTRAL — The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Study Guide - LitCharts.
https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-curious-incident-of-the-do…

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web search NEUTRAL — Dopamine is the chemical of desire that always asks for more—more stuff, more stimulation, and more surprises. In pursuit of these things, it is undeterred by emotion, fear, or morality.
https://oceanofpdf.com/authors/daniel-z-lieberman/pdf-epub-t…

info

Claim 2: “Cops confirmed that Smith and Murphy were not blood-related, after Smith claimed that she had shot her granddaughter.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the evidence confirms the suspect and victim were not the same person and were acquaintances, there is no specific mention in the provided evidence of Smith claiming the victim was her granddaughter or police debunking that specific claim.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Courtney Smith, 55, is charged with murder in the death of Maysie Murphy.Smith was detained at the scene, and she was ultimately charged with murder. What we don't know: The sheriff’s office says it’s…
https://www.fox26houston.com/news/bond-crosby-murder-suspect…

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web search NEUTRAL — PSC is a Federal Executive Body under Section 153 (m) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) that processes data in furtherance of our mandate as the sole statutory …
https://npfapplication.psc.gov.ng/

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web search NEUTRAL — Quora is a place to gain and share knowledge. It's a platform to ask questions and connect with people who contribute unique insights and quality answers. This empowers people to learn from each other…
https://www.quora.com/

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Claim 3: “Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said that Smith was charged with murder and booked in the Harris County Jail.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Courtney Smith was charged with murder and booked into the Harris County Jail.

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web search NEUTRAL — Courtney Smith was later arrested and booked into the Harris County Jail on a murder charge. Records show a judge ordered that Smith be denied bail.
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/05/19/official…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Smith was previously charged with two misdemeanors in Harris County in 2024 — failure to identify and interference with the duties of a public servant, court records show. As of Tuesday, both case sta…
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/trending…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (Gray News) – Texas authorities arrested a 43-year-old man accused of shooting and killing his wife while children were present in the home.
https://www.wilx.com/2026/05/08/man-accused-killing-wife-tol…

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Claim 4: “Investigators believe Smith and Murphy were both temporarily staying in the residence, while the homeowners were out of town.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that both Smith and Murphy were staying at the home and that the homeowners were out of town.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Courtney Smith, 55, was charged with the murder of Maysie Murphy, 21, after deputies found a woman dead inside a home on the 17800 block of Adlong Johnson Road Monday, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/trending…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — She is charged with the murder of Maysie Murphy. Murphy was shot and killed at a home in Crosby on Monday morning. HOUSTON - Bond was set at $1 million for the suspect accused of shooting and killing …
https://www.fox26houston.com/news/bond-crosby-murder-suspect…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A pair of thieves targeted a home in Northwest Miami-Dade that they knew would be an easy target.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5X8GIwQ0nQ

verified

Claim 5: “The day before the fatal run-in, Smith called police and told dispatchers she was “seeing demons,” according to Click2Houston.”

VERIFIED

A web search result specifically mentions that during a call to dispatchers, Smith allegedly told them she was 'seeing demons.'

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The suspect, identified as Courtney Smith, 55, has been charged with murder in connection with Murphy’s death.During that call, Smith allegedly told dispatchers she was “seeing demons.”
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/05/19/official…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Subscribe for more crime content!This video was made for educational purposes only. The video is presented to provide genuine footage of police incidents to...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4ranX-xinc

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web search NEUTRAL — Reid also told dispatchers her younger sister was in another bedroom and she "believed she was alive." Police did not release any additional information about the sibling. Reno Police took her to the …
https://abcstlouis.com/news/nation-world/teen-told-dispatche…

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Claim 6: “Courtney Smith, 55, admitted to police that she shot both Maysie Murphy and her ‘boyfriend,’ according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results indicate Courtney Smith (55) was booked into Harris County Jail and that she claimed to have killed two people, although only one body (Maysie Murphy) was found.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York City Sheriff's Office (NYCSO), officially the Office of the Sheriff of the City of New York, is the primary civil law enforcement agency for New York City. The Sheriff's Office is a divis…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Sheriff's_Office

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A general election was held in Fulton County, Georgia on November 5, 2024, to elect various county-level positions. The primary election was held on May 21, 2024.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Fulton_County_elections

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On April 2, 2015, 43-year-old African-American Eric Courtney Harris was fatally shot during an undercover sting in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as Harris ran from authorities unarmed. While Harris was being subdu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Eric_Harris

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “Murphy was found dead on Monday at a residence in the 17800 block of Adlong Johnson Road near US 90 in Crosby, near Houston.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources explicitly state Maysie Murphy was found dead on a Monday at a residence in the 17800 block of Adlong Johnson Road in Crosby.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Officials have now identified both the victim and the suspect after a 21-year-old woman was found shot to death inside a home near Crosby on Monday afternoon.
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/05/19/official…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Deputies found 21-year-old Maysie Murphy dead after a call on Adlong Johnson Road.Officials had not released a possible motive, and no additional victims had been located. Smith remained jailed on a m…
https://republicanballotnews.com/woman-said-she-killed-two-p…

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Claim 8: “A crazed Texas woman gunned down a 21-year-old female she was living with”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that 55-year-old Courtney Smith shot and killed 21-year-old Maysie Murphy in a Crosby, Texas home.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Texas ( TEK-səss) is the most populous state in the Southern United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and an internat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Texas City is a city in Galveston County, Texas (with some water area in Chambers County), United States. Located on the southwest shoreline of Galveston Bay, Texas City is a deepwater port on the Gul…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City,_Texas

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Choosin' Texas" is a song by American country music singer Ella Langley. It was released on October 17, 2025 as the lead single from her second studio album Dandelion (2026). She wrote it with Luke D…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choosin'_Texas

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.