Colencia Sade Davidson had finally taken steps to reclaim her life. The 39-year-old Texas mother of ten was moving on from a longtime, toxic relationship and looking forward to brighter days. But on the night of May 5, just days before her 40th birthday, everything changed.
After a night out with friends, Colencia returned to her Houston-area home. She had no idea that Thomas Sonnier, the man she had spent over 20 years with and the father of nine of her children, was allegedly lying in wait. According to police, Sonnier ambushed her in the driveway and shot her 12 times before fleeing the scene. Surveillance footage from the area reportedly captured the entire attack and helped lead to his arrest.
Court documents obtained by Fox 26 reveal chilling details. Sonnier had reportedly hidden in the garage, waiting for her to come home. The video is said to show him running from the scene after the shooting. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed the couple had a long and abusive history, and Colencia had recently separated from Sonnier.
Her cousin, Sandra Davidson, spoke with KHOU and described Colencia as someone who did everything for her kids. “She loved her children,” Sandra said. “Her children were her top priority. Everything she did was for them. She was a good, positive person, laughed, and got along with everybody.”
Colencia had been working for the Texas Department of Corrections and had just earned a promotion. She was beginning to build a life for herself and her children outside the shadow of abuse. “She just wanted to be happy and take care of her children,” Sandra said. “That’s all she wanted to do.”
The couple’s relationship had spanned more than two decades, but no one in the family expected it to end in such a violent and tragic way. Sandra is now left with one haunting question: “I know I’ll probably never get the answer that I want, but why?”
She started a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs and support Colencia’s children. “A horrible act of violence claimed the life of Colencia Sade Davidson,” Sandra wrote on the fundraiser page. “She was a soul who brought light to everyone she met. Her remarkable kindness, loyalty, and willingness to always put her children’s needs before her own will be remembered forever.”
Colencia leaves behind three adult children and seven young ones who are now struggling to make sense of the unimaginable. The fundraiser has already brought in over $10,000 of its $75,000 goal.
Her younger children are currently in the care of Sonnier’s relatives, but Colencia’s family is now working to gain custody, hoping to keep the kids together and surrounded by love.