When Russell Lamont Neal skyrocketed to fame as part of the ’90s R&B sensation group, Hi-Five, he looked like the picture-perfect boy-band kinda guy. He was clean-cut, looked likd to have a ‘good guy’ persona…at least from the outside looking end.
Well, as we all know, everything ain’t always what it look like…that rule of thumb holds true for Lamont, and also for his brother, Ronald Neal. Both men are currently doing time for reportedly killing their wives, and this story only gets more heart breaking from here.
Details Of The Homicide Of Ronald Lamont Neal’s Wife
In June 2014, Russell apparently confessed to murdering his 24-year-old-wife – fitness model and aspiring boxer, Catherine “Brasilia” Martinez.
Russell was living in Houston, TX at the time of the incident. Houston police said that he walked into the Houston sheriff’s department building and said something like ‘My wife is dead. I would like an attorney.’ He then softly waited for the cops to ask him and take him away. The cops eventually arrested him without incident.
One witness said “He wasn’t resisting arrest or fighting with them, or saying anything. When they brought him out in handcuffs, he was just as calm as can be and they just put him in a police car.”
After Russell was booked, he told police Catherine’s body was at their home at the apartment complex. Police said they had to break the door down and once inside, they discover Catherine Martinez, dead on the living room floor with multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma injuries to her head.
Her body was covered with a blanket and her autopsy results showed that she died from puncture wounds. He was later released on $100,000 bond as he awaited trial.
As per to court records, Russell’s and Catherine’s two young children were in the home during the homicide. Catherine’s family says one of their children allegedly walked out of their room during the attack, and that Russell allegedly told his child that the red stains (allegedly Catherine’s blood) on his shoes was “ketchup”…before sending the child back into the room.
By May 2015, U.S. Marshal’s Service deputies arrested Russell Lamont Neal, in Waco, TX after a warrant was issued out of Harris County, on charges that he failed to appear for a court date in connection with the July 2014 homicide of his wife Catherine. The weird stuff is that authorities say prior that day, police were called to the residence Russell was in, after someone reported that a person there was showing suicidal tendencies.
The police showed up, spoke with Russell and then left because they said that the court time had not passed yet, so they had no basis for arresting him. Later that same day, Russell skipped out on court and the police went back to the home and arrested him.
At the county morgue, Catherine’s mom is faced with something no mom should ever see.
“You couldn’t recognize, the only thing I recognize about her, it was her teeth, her mouth, you know the way she would smile,” said Mary Figueroa. “That’s what I recognized on her.”
