LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — The Texas Rangers are reviewing the investigation into the death of a Liberty County woman that authorities previously ruled a suicide, a conclusion her family strongly disputes.
According to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, 60-year-old Sherry Novosad died by suicide in November 2024. Her parents say the case was mishandled and say they believe she was killed.
Novosad was found dead inside her mobile home near Dayton after a relative was sent to check on her. She was discovered sitting upright against the front door, according to her family.
Novosad’s parents say there were no signs she was suicidal. Just days before her death, she had gotten her hair done, made lunch plans, and was preparing to help her father with an upcoming surgery.
“She would not have killed herself,” her mother, Kathy Hatcher, said, adding that they continue to stand by that belief more than a year later.
Hatcher said she saw Novosad the day before she died, and everything seemed normal.
By the time her parents arrived at the home on the day she was found, they say investigators had already determined the case was a suicide.
“They walked in, threw up their hands, and said suicide, and that was it,” her stepfather, Carl Hatcher, said.
“They didn’t do any taping. Check anything. Glove her. Didn’t do anything,” added Kathy.
The Jefferson County medical examiner ruled Novosad’s death a suicide, stating she shot herself in the neck with a shotgun.
Her family questions that finding, saying there were no burn marks on her hands, face, or neck, something they say would be expected given the weapon involved, a Bond Arms Rough and Rowdy .410 derringer.
“That little gun shoots a 6-8-inch flame,” Kathy explained.
They also describe the scene as suspicious, noting Novosad’s shoes were neatly placed beside her body, which they believe suggests the scene may have been staged.
Adding to the family’s concerns, they allege Novosad was involved in an affair with a Liberty County sheriff’s deputy, an allegation the sheriff’s office did not dispute in an email to ABC13.
Her parents say that the connection makes it critical for the case to be investigated outside of Liberty County.
In a statement, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed that the Texas Rangers are reviewing the case at the request of the Liberty County District Attorney’s Office and the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office.
DPS said the review is ongoing.
Meanwhile, Novosad’s family has hired an independent forensic expert who they say identified foreign male DNA from blood spatter at the scene.
The family says they are determined to keep pushing for answers.
“It’s not fair. She did not deserve to die,” her mother said.
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