wearing shackles, steven mcdowell seemed to hold back tears as he appeared in court for the first time>> everything in the investigation leads to us that he acted alone. >> reporter: chambers county sheriff, brian hawthorne, said mcdowell admitted he strangled his ex-wife crystal, and led investigators to her body. >> it took a number of different interviews before he confessed. >> reporter: one day before hurricane harvey hit southeast texas, on august 25th, crystal mcdowell texted her boyfriend, paul hargrave, saying she was on her way to pick up her two children. no traffic today, she wrote to him. you are so sweet. >> i knew something was wrong and because of the conversations we had had about her ex-husband, i was a bit concerned when i didn't get a reply back. >> mcdowell was staying at her ex's house because her home was being renovated. the children, ages 5 and 8, were also staying there. >> she never went and picked up her kids. >> reporter: mcdowell's car was found abandoned in this flooded motel 6 parking lot three days after she vanished. >> so the cops were here busting in