Man charged with murder of North Texas entrepreneur claimed she fell in shower

The man arrested in the murder of a North Texas entrepreneur claims her injuries occurred when she slipped and fell in the shower.

The new details became public on Tuesday with the release of an affidavit in the case. Nathaniel Mitchell has been charged with the murder of Donna Alexander, known locally and nationally for operating The Anger Room in Dallas.

The affidavit outlines that Mitchell, her estranged boyfriend, drove Alexander to an emergency room near her home in the early morning on Friday, Sept. 21. He told them she slipped and fell, injuring her head while getting out of the shower.

The hospital transferred Alexander to Baylor Medical Center in Dallas due to the severity of her injuries, but doctors said Alexander's injuries were inconsistent with Mitchell's story.

Alexander's children told police they were in their bedrooms during the entire incident. They described hearing Mitchell trying to get inside the house in the middle of the night.

Alexander's 12-year-old daughter told investigators that she could hear Mitchell banging on the front door, but then it stopped. Moments later, she heard a window break and her mother screaming and yelling.

Alexander's son told police after the chaos, things got quiet and he heard the garage door open and Alexander’s car pulling out. He says he sent his mother a text asking who left.

According to the affidavit, "He got a reply from his mom's phone that said she and Nathaniel had left... She was okay and for him to get ready for school."

About 5 a.m. that Friday, Mitchell and an unconscious Alexander arrived at a small hospital just blocks from her home. He told doctors that he and Alexander had taken a shower together and that she slipped and fell getting out of the shower. But doctors quickly determined she needed to go to Baylor in Dallas.

Doctors said Alexander had a skull fracture that was "inconsistent with a single fall."

Grand Prairie police arrested Mitchell at Baylor on a series of outstanding warrants. First, they charged him with aggravated assault. Once Alexander died, Mitchell was charged with murder.

Back at the home, police found a broken window in the master bedroom that Mitchell apparently got in. They also found "blood on the rug in the master bedroom, on the bathroom floor, in the bathtub and shower” as well as "bloody towels in the closet."

Alexander was a successful businesswoman. The Anger Room franchise she opened first in Deep Ellum garnered national attention. Mitchell had worked there with her.

Tochia Anikwe, Alexander’s sister, says the family suspects Mitchell may have abused her in the past.

"It's very hard to know when situations like that are going to happen,” Anikwe said. “And everyone wants to blame themselves, but they shouldn't blame themselves. They should reach out to each other and help each other."

Mitchell was arrested at the hospital on outstanding warrants and is charged with Alexander’s murder. He remains in custody at the Tarrant County Jail with a bond set at $250,000.

A memorial is now scheduled at Crossroad Church in Grand Prairie on October 10. The family says the funeral service will be later in Alexander's hometown of Chicago.