Shepherd committed the crime at his apartment at 17710 Red Oak Dr #224 in northwest Harris County, Texas.

[3] Prosecutors believe that he disposed of Stewart's body by burning it on his two barbecue grills on the balcony of his second floor apartment.

[4] One of the two grills belonged to James Hebert (18 years old at the time) who often played video games and barbecued with Shepherd.

Dionne Whitaker, a neighbor whose patio is directly across from Shepherd's, saw him carry the two grills to the dumpster after days of intensive burning.

Shepherd started to cry as the two spoke and later led the activist and a detective to a trash can where he stated he left the body.

[15] During the punishment phase of the trial, Shepherd stated that he had murdered Stewart, after first pressuring her to reveal her new relationship at college.

Afraid she was going to stab him again, Shepherd claimed to have then grabbed her around the neck with one arm, while he tried to reach the knife with his other hand, then choked her to death out of anger.