HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A Houston family is mourning the loss of a lifestyle blogger who police say was murdered by her husband while visiting her mother-in-law in Maine.
Family members told ABC13 that Margaux and Samuel Whittemore had only been married since September. They said Margaux seemed happy and was a yoga instructor who was thriving creatively. They said Samuel is a graduate of MIT and a former engineer.
Now, the family is understandably desperate to figure out where things went wrong.
“She was there to inspire people,” said Roger Risley, Margaux’s cousin.
Much of Margaux’s Instagram feed was picture perfect. At a young age, she caught the travel bug, and Risley was often there for the ride.
“I feel like I lost myself, in a sense, because that is how close we were,” Risley said.
Margaux was from France, but her grandparents and Risley live in Houston.
Risley said Margaux had recently moved to Belfast, Maine, where she started a life with her newlywed husband, Samuel.
“Sam, I don’t know much about his history. I never got the opportunity to actually meet him,” Risley said.
On Feb. 19, authorities say Margaux was at her in-laws’ home in Maine when things went horribly wrong.
Belfast police say when they responded to the scene, Margaux was dead outside the home and Samuel’s mother was inside with critical injuries.
“To go from zero to 100 like that, that’s the biggest question for all of us,” Risley said. “It’s just mind-boggling. You would think there would be signs.”
In photos posted to Instagram, the couple looks happy, and according to Risley, none of Margaux’s friends saw the warning signs either.
“It doesn’t change the outcome, but maybe if we can get a picture of the moments leading up to it or those days, I don’t know,” Risley said.
Police say Whittemore took off after the murder but was arrested shortly after.
He made his initial court appearance on Friday afternoon, but was ordered to undergo a competency evaluation before criminal proceedings can resume.
Risley says despite her brutal end, he will forever celebrate Margaux for living her life to the fullest.
“I’ll see her again. I have to, you know? That energy doesn’t just disappear,” Risley said.
Risley told ABC13 he’s working with other family members to get Margaux’s body back to France so her mother can bury her.
This story comes from our news partner ABC13 Houston.
