Texas Man Charged in Connection with Girlfriend Found Hanged at Marina in What Police Believe Was Staged Suicide
James Hart initially told police his girlfriend killed herself, but police determined he made the scene look like a suicide.
July 31 2024, Published 2:02 p.m. ET
A Texas man has been arrested in connection with the death of his girlfriend, who was found hanged at marina dock almost two months ago, according to authorities.
On May 31, police received reports of a woman’s lifeless body hanging by a rope from a dock, according to the League City Police Department.
Officers responded to the scene at a League City marina and found the female victim deceased.
Investigators suspected foul play in the death of the victim, identified as 30-year-old Giselle Salazar-Tapia by KTRK-TV.
Police noted one of Salazar-Tapia’s arms extended above her head, suggesting she died at another location and her body was staged as a suicide, officials said.
The man police believed to be Salazar-Tapia’s boyfriend, 51-year-old James Hart, “became very distraught and would not come out of his boat," according to authorities.
Officers negotiated with the man and were “able to talk the man safely off” the vessel.
Hart and Salazar-Tapia reportedly lived together on a boat docked at the marina where she was found.
At that time, Hart told KTRK-TV, "I loved Giselle with all my life…I would never hurt Giselle."
Police did confirm that officers had been called to the marina on several occasions before Salazar-Tapia’s death for domestic disturbances she was involved in.
Esparanza Alegria, Salazar-Tapia’s sister, said, "We always had to remind her that the people that she called friends or the people that she talked to, that those were not her friends. They did not care for her," KTRK-TV reported.
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On July 25, Hart was arrested and charged with tampering/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair a human corpse in connection with Salazar-Tapia’s death, authorities said.
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