Man crashes truck while fleeing home where he found body in box, Texas cops say

A man is accused of murder after authorities say a stranger he hired to help move furniture discovered a body inside a Texas home.

Following a “strange” series of events, Steven Eberly, 36, has been jailed on a charge of murder, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a May 18 post on X.

When the stranger went into the northwest Houston home on the morning of May 16, he soon spotted a corpse hidden in one of the boxes he was being paid to move, according to Gonzalez.

He got into Eberly’s truck and drove away, but Eberly was in the truck’s bed, Gonzalez said.

Investigators say Eberly jumped into the truck bed and started breaking windows to try to stop the man from escaping, KPRC reported.

The man crashed the truck and Eberly left the scene on foot, Gonzalez said. That crash spurred a 911 call about a hit-and-run, which ultimately led deputies to the home and the body hidden there, and to Eberly’s arrest.

According to Gonzalez, Eberly killed a contractor who was working on a project at the home.

“The exact cause and manner of death have not been determined and are awaiting autopsy results,” Gonzalez said. “The identity of the deceased individual is not yet being released, pending a positive identification and notification of next-of-kin.”

Deputies believe the contractor hadn’t been dead long, probably within a day, by the time authorities got involved, KPRC reported. No charges are expected to be brought against the man Eberly paid to help move, officials said.

This story was originally published May 18, 2025 at 11:40 AM with the headline "Man crashes truck while fleeing home where he found body in box, Texas cops say."