Authorities have charged a Texas man with the murder of a sex worker, following his completion of a diversion program related to solicitation.
On October 4, authorities apprehended Christopher Bernard, 25, following his reported confession to strangling 29-year-old Cortney Hall, according to a press release from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. He faces additional charges related to the alteration of a deceased body.
On the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 2, officials reported that patrol officers from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call regarding an empty field in the 200 block of Assay, where maintenance workers mowing the grass discovered Hall’s partially clothed body.
The sheriff’s office also indicated that Hall’s body seemed to have been at the site for multiple days, prompting investigators to start examining surveillance footage from the vicinity.
An officer successfully monitored Bernard’s vehicle using traffic cameras, as directed by the order.
The recent announcement reveals that Bernard reportedly acknowledged a meeting with Hall, during which he claimed that an incident occurred at a motel, and he confessed to strangling Hall.
According to authorities, Bernard is said to have removed Hall’s body from the motel and left it in tall grass near Beltway 8, where maintenance workers later found it. According to the examined probable cause for continued detention, Bernard purportedly stated that Hall attempted to seize his wallet and keys.
As per court documents examined by PEOPLE, a charge related to solicitation of prostitution from 2023 was dropped in April 2024 following Bernard’s successful completion of a diversion program.
Bernard is currently in custody with a bail set at $300,000, and a court appearance is set for November 30. The status of his plea remains uncertain at the time of this report.