A man has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of Persia Amarra Conway, a 33-year-old whose body was found in southwest Houston in late May. The arrest brings a development in a case that had left her family and community waiting for answers for more than two weeks, and her mother is now speaking out, saying she is hoping that justice will prevail.
According to Houston police, Conway was found dead the morning of May 25th. The location was near Country Creek Drive in Bray's Bayou, in the southwest part of the city, not too far from 59 and Bissonnet. Officers were called to the area after a report came in of a body in a stormwater catch basin, drawing investigators to the scene.
When emergency crews arrived, the outcome was already grim. Houston Fire Department paramedics responded to the location and pronounced Persia dead at the scene. From that point, what had begun as a report of a body turned into a homicide investigation that detectives would spend the following weeks pursuing.
In the time that followed, those who knew Conway refused to let the case fade from view. Family members, friends and members of Houston's LGBTQ plus community held a vigil and called for answers, keeping public attention on the death while detectives worked to identify a suspect. For them, the gathering was both a tribute and a demand that the case be solved.
Those answers came on Wednesday. A man named Daniel Ceron was arrested by the Houston Police Department's Westside Division gang unit and charged with murder in connection with Conway's death. The arrest marked the first concrete step toward holding someone accountable after weeks of uncertainty.
Investigators say the suspect did not deny involvement once he was in custody. According to investigators, Ceron later confessed to his role in Conway's death. At the same time, the Houston Police Department has not released additional details about the circumstances that led up to the killing, leaving key questions about what happened still unanswered for now.
The case now moves into the court system. Court documents indicate that prosecutors are seeking a bond of half a million dollars, and that they are also asking for strict conditions if Ceron were to be released, including electronic monitoring and no contact with Conway's family. Seventeen days after the body was found, Conway's mother has spoken out, expressing her hope for justice as she remembers a daughter who had moved to Houston.