Sheriff calls wanted murder suspect an ongoing threat to the public

53-year-old Russell Cormier’s alleged reign of terror began at 6 a.m. Monday. In less than 24 hours, deputies say Cormier killed two people and wounded a third.

“I heard the girl screaming no please no,” said an 11-year-old boy who reportedly witnessed the first slaying.

Deputies say Cormier shot and killed his 61-year-old ex-wife Fannie McWhite in the 12300 block of Green Canyon Drive.

“When he dragged the body, that’s when I knew it was real,” the boy said.

From there deputies say Cormier drove to the 6000 block of Shotwell where he set a trailer he was living in on fire.

“Was he trying to destroy something. We have no clue,” said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

The next murder happened at a trucking business in the 12000 block of Kindred Street.

Deputies say Cormier waited for a 60-year-old supervisor to show up for work and then shot him to death. His alleged motive is unclear.

“I hope whatever it is somebody finds out about it,” said the dead man’s sister Beverly Quiller. “”He ain't done nothing to nobody to make them come shoot and kill him he’s not that type of person.”

The gunfire erupted again around 4 a.m. Tuesday.

Deputies say Cormier returned to Shotwell where he shot and wounded a neighbor he had argued with in the past.

“With the person still being on the run like this, that’s concerning to us,” the sheriff said. “We don’t know what could be next.”

The sheriff is so concerned, he’s putting up billboards like this one to make everyone aware of Russell Cormier.