What did Danielle Hudson and Chaz Blackshear reveal about their crimes on Snapped: Behind Bars?

In the humid nights of October 2010, Houston, Texas, became the scene of a chilling double murder that exposed the dark side of a young romance gone wrong. Chaz Blackshear and his girlfriend Danielle Hudson lured two hardworking taxi drivers to a gas station under false pretenses, robbed them and shot them dead in cold blood.

The victims, Mohammed Nabil Elsayed and Blaise Uzoma Nwokenaka were family men simply trying to make ends meet. Bid for quick cash escalated into executions, with the couple confessing to their roles in the killings.

Their story, marked by confessions of influence and regret, highlights how personal pain and poor choices can lead to irreversible tragedy. This harrowing tale is explored in depth in Snapped: Behind Bars, season 3, episode 7, titled Danielle Hudson and Chaz Blackshear. The episode features exclusive prison interviews where both reflect on their actions 15 years later. It aired on December 21, 2025 on Oxygen True Crime.

Snapped: Behind Bars: Early lives and relationship dynamics

Chaz Omar Blackshear grew up in Dallas, Texas, before moving to Houston a few months before the crimes. Born on August 19, 1989, he had served briefly in the U.S. Navy and had a prior conviction for marijuana possession in Harris County. His life took a turn toward instability after relocating, where he met Danielle Rene Hudson.  

Danielle Hudson, born December 15, 1988, hailed from Kansas and had moved to Houston with her 2 year old son, whose father was not Blackshear. She had a record including convictions for theft, escape while under arrest and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, all in Harris County.

The couple, both 21, shared a small apartment at Ashton Park Apartments on Westmead Drive, just steps from a Chevron gas station that would become central to their crimes, as reported by the Houston Police Department.

“Theirs was an intense, codependent couple, one that has often been likened to famous, infamous couples from the annals of crime, obsessed by their fidelity to one another rather than by logic.” 

The postings on Danielle Hudson’s social media accounts revealed a hardened ideology, complete with quotes from song lyrics suggesting mistrust and an instinct towards violence.
Blackshear’s vulnerability to making unwise choices was influenced by his level of “loyalty.”

Together, they went through hard times financially and petty crimes, such as being suspected of having stolen a handgun, a Cobra 380 which was linked to the murder scenes. The common background of petty crimes paved the way for escalation, where the need for financial gain interplayed with their emotional relationship.

The couple did not display any shocked expressions when they were arrested. It has been observed that when arrested, the couple did not display shocked expressions and seemed less surprised by their confessions, according to ABC13.

Planning and execution of the crimes

The crimes unfolded over two nights in mid October 2010, rooted in a simple robbery scheme gone fatal. On October 11,  Danielle Hudson called Yellow Cab from a payphone near the closed Chevron station at Whittington and South Dairy Ashford roads, posing as a customer in need of a ride.

Elsayed, an independent contractor and father, arrived around 2 a.m. Blackshear ambushed him, demanding money. Elsayed was shot twice in the head and chest and his pleas for sparing his family were ignored.

The couple took about $200, dumping his body in a drainage ditch in the 5400 block of Wheat Street and abandoning the cab 15 miles away in the 12100 block of Overbrook Lane. Two days later, the pattern was repeated.

On October 13,  Danielle Hudson again ordered a cab to that neighborhood, this time for Nwokenaka, a 50 year old Bellaire resident and family breadwinner. About 4 a.m., Blackshear robbed him at gunpoint, shooting him three times in the back while he was sitting in the driver's seat.

To destroy evidence, Blackshear doused the cab with gasoline and set it on fire in a nearby parking lot, leaving Nwokenaka's body inside. The start of the fire was caught on surveillance video from an office building. Smoke alerted a patrolling officer.

The pair netted only $26 from this victim, including a single $1 bill, yet eliminated witnesses without hesitation. Confessions revealed they viewed the acts as efficient: lure, rob, kill, destroy evidence.

These back-to-back incidents, motivated purely by financial gain, left Houston reeling, as both victims were discovered hours later, Elsayed in daylight, Nwokenaka amid smoldering ruins, as per ABC13.

Investigation and arrests

Houston Police Department homicide detectives linked the murders swiftly through physical evidence. Fingerprints from Blackshear were found inside Nwokenaka's burned cab, despite the fire's damage. Shell casings from both scenes matched, and autopsies confirmed a Cobra 380 handgun as the weapon, tying back to a recent theft report naming Blackshear.

The abandoned cabs' locations, just blocks apart, pointed to a pattern near the couple's apartment. Surveillance footage of the arson provided a clear visual lead, showing a figure matching Blackshear fleeing the scene, as reported by the Houston Police Department.

On October 15, 2010, around 9 p.m., a joint task force including HPD, the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force, and U.S. Marshals raided the Ashton Park Apartments. Blackshear and Hudson were arrested without resistance, both expressing surprise.

Interrogations yielded full confessions: Blackshear admitted to the shootings and arson, detailing how Hudson's calls set up the traps. Danielle Hudson corroborated, revealing she helped move Elsayed's body and later guided police to the hidden gun. 

Detectives recovered verifying evidence, including the weapon. Prior records and apartment searches uncovered hints of other unreported crimes, suggesting the duo planned more. The investigation highlighted their lack of remorse with statements describing the killings as "too long" or "quick business."

Charged with two counts of capital murder each, they faced life imprisonment or death if convicted. This rapid probe, driven by forensics and confessions, prevented further violence and exposed the fragility of seemingly perfect plans, according to ABC13.

Trial, sentencing, and later reflections

Court proceedings began soon after the arrests, with both appearing before a judge on October 17, 2010. Side by side in Harris County court, they heard capital murder charges read, displaying minimal emotion. Bonds were denied, citing flight risks and prior offenses.

Prosecutors emphasized the premeditated nature, using confessions and video to build an airtight case. Blackshear, identified as the triggerman, faced the harshest scrutiny for executing the robberies and cover up, as per ABC13.

By 2011, convictions followed: Blackshear received life without parole, reflecting his direct role in the deaths. Danielle Hudson, convicted as an accomplice for aiding and abetting was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Both avoided the death penalty through pleas and evidence cooperation.

The trials drew local attention with victims' families advocating for justice amid grief, according to Pinkerton. Fifteen years on, Snapped: Behind Bars captured their prison reflections. From separate facilities, Blackshear in a men's unit, Hudson at Dr. Lane Murray, they spoke of change.  

Danielle Hudson, addressing her role publicly for the first time, attributed decisions to youth, immaturity and emotional pain, insisting she was not inherently bad. Blackshear acknowledged destroying innocent families, crediting time served for growth and expressing evolved views on their toxic bond, as reported by Oxygen.

Watch Snapped: Behind Bars season 3 streaming on Oxygen.