Tenesia Lacole Augustus, a 24-year-old Black woman, was known for the love she shared with her large and close-knit family. Remembered fondly by her mother, siblings, and grandparents, Tenesia was a resident of Houston, Texas, though her roots and family ties were also in Beaumont. Her life was cut short in a brutal act of violence that also claimed the life of a friend, leaving her loved ones with unanswered questions and enduring grief.
On the morning of Monday, November 26, 2007, a maintenance worker at an apartment complex in the 6800 block of Allegheny Street in southeast Houston made a grim discovery. Responding to complaints about a car blocking access behind one of the buildings, he found a silver 2006 Chevrolet Impala. Inside the vehicle were the bodies of Tenesia Augustus and 28-year-old Terrance Kyle Thompson. Both had been shot to death.
Houston Police Department investigators were called to the scene just before noon. They determined that both Tenesia and Terrance had suffered gunshot wounds to their upper bodies and were pronounced dead at the location. While the discovery was made late in the morning, the violence had likely occurred many hours earlier. A witness at the apartment complex reported hearing several gunshots sometime between 1:00 and 2:00 a.m. that same morning. The motive for the double homicide was not immediately clear to the authorities.
The initial investigation was handled by HPD Homicide Division Sergeant D. A. Ferguson and Officer R. P. Martinez. They processed the scene, but no weapon was recovered from the Impala or the surrounding area. Police publicly identified the victims and the circumstances of their deaths in a news release the following day, appealing to the public for help. Terrance Thompson, a father of two young sons, was remembered with love by his parents, brothers, and a host of extended family and friends.
In the years since the killings, the investigation has grown cold. No suspects have ever been publicly named, and no arrests have been made. The case of Tenesia Augustus and Terrance Thompson has become one of the many unsolved homicides in Houston, a painful statistic for two families who are still waiting for justice. The lack of resolution leaves a void, with the "why" behind their deaths remaining a central, unanswered question.
Tenesia's funeral service was held on Saturday, December 1, 2007, at the Antioch Baptist Church in Beaumont, followed by an entombment at Magnolia Cemetery. Terrance's celebration of life was held on the same day at Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston. As of late 2023, their case remains open and unsolved. The Houston Police Department urges anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or to provide an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
