Harris County wife found dead in freezer; husband pleads guilty to murder, gets 10 years
HARRIS COUNTY - A man has received a 10-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to the murder of his wife. Investigators say 62-year-old Curtis Holliday killed 29-year-old Chi Thi Lien Le. She went missing in April 2020, and a month later, investigators found her remains inside a freezer at Holliday's business. Holliday, who was charged in July 2020, was scheduled to start his trial Monday but waived it in favor of a guilty plea.
Attorneys confirmed that Holliday pleaded guilty to murder and will be formally sentenced to ten years in prison next month. Holliday has been in custody at the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Jail since May 5, 2024, following charges related to a violation of bond on a protective order and continuous violence against a family member.
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Chi Le disappeared in April 2020 after posting on social media about domestic violence and threats to her life by Holliday, who warned that if she vanished, authorities should consider him a suspect. The investigation intensified after Holliday was arrested in May 2020 for violating a protective order issued months before Le’s disappearance.
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Police subsequently searched Holliday’s business on the West Sam Houston Parkway North in Northwest Houston, where they discovered Le’s remains in a commercial freezer. This discovery led to Holliday’s formal charges and the plea deal.
Holliday has been ordered to turn himself in on July 19th to begin serving his ten-year sentence. The case has spotlighted the severe impact of domestic violence and its fatal consequences.
Holliday's lawyer Dick DeGuerin, says the plea deal was the best option for his client, who he says didn't kill his wife. While the medical examiner ruled the manner of death homicide in the case, the cause of death was never determined. DeGuerin claims a private expert found evidence of suicide and Holliday says he found his wife hanging from a noose. "Instead of calling the police when he found her he bought a freezer, a chest freezer, and put her in the freezer," he said.
It's a story that Andy Khan with Crime Stoppers doesn't buy. He explained that Holliday was charged with continuous violence against family just months before Le's disappearance. Court documents show accusations of physical abuse for years leading up to the murder and, after being charged, Holliday violated his protective order, according to documents.
"I think anyone would put it together and logically conclude that Holliday is responsible for her death," said Khan. "A person's life is worth more than 10 years."
Lindsey Bondurant with the Harris County District Attorney's Office says the state is pleased with the outcome.
"We're pleased that we were able to get that accountability with the def. taking responsibility for what he did in this case," she said.
DeGuerin says Holliday will get credit for time served, so he will likely spend around five years behind bars. He says Holliday is out on bond now and will be back in court on July 19 to be taken into custody.