A 27-year-old west Houston woman was found dead on the couch inside her own apartment, and police say the people responsible were not strangers — they were her 20-year-old sister and that sister's partner. Aveyia Webb worked as a hairstylist and was getting ready to start pharmacy school when her life ended inside her home in the 8100 block of Richmond Avenue.
According to ABC13, investigators said Webb was found dead Thursday morning after relatives grew concerned when they had not heard from her. It was Beverly Hobbs who went to check on Webb after she stopped responding, and it was Hobbs who went inside and found her dead on the couch.
Court documents allege that Webb's own sister, Alaya Jones, and Jones' partner, Kaleb Maglott, robbed and killed Webb inside the apartment, the station reports. Both Jones and Maglott were arrested Thursday and are charged with capital murder, according to court records cited in the same report.
Family Says Jones Had Just Told Them She Was Moving Back
Family members said Jones had been living in Florida and had told relatives she was coming to Houston to move back — a detail that has left loved ones reeling given what followed. Per the same account, family members said the two stole Webb's vehicle and wallet.
Relatives also told the outlet that investigators found text messages on Jones' phone that they believe point to the alleged murder being planned, with the messages reportedly indicating Jones and her partner intended to travel to Houston. The article notes that family members have been left trying to reconcile those messages with the sister they thought they knew.
A Sister Remembered for Her Positivity
Those closest to Webb describe her as a bright presence who was, in their words, ready to take on the world. Rosie Hart, described as Webb's boyfriend's sister and one of her close friends, remembered her as someone known for her positivity and her love of good food — a positive light in the lives of those who knew her.
Edie Smith-Anderson said the family never expected Webb would need protection from her own younger sister. Hobbs, who discovered Webb's body, said her life was taken by a family member rather than a stranger — a distinction that has compounded the family's grief.
The Case Comes Amid a Broader Drop in Houston Violence
The killing lands against a backdrop of declining violent crime citywide. Houston recorded 95 homicides in the first half of 2026, down 38% from 154 during the same period in 2025, according to data compiled by the Major Cities Chiefs Association and reported by Axios. Robberies fell nearly 27%, aggravated assaults dropped by more than 17%, and rape cases declined by about 20% over the same stretch, outpacing the 17% national decline in homicides across cities tracked in the same report.
None of that citywide trend changes what Webb's family is now facing. As they wait for the case against Jones and Maglott to move forward, those who loved Aveyia Webb are left holding on to the memory of a woman they say was full of light and on the verge of a new chapter in her life.
