(Seguin) — A Guadalupe County grand jury has indicted a Corpus Christi man in connection with the 2023 death of a Schertz woman whose body was discovered during a welfare check.
Aaron James Declouette, 62, has been formally charged with Murder, a first-degree felony, and Tampering with or Fabricating Physical Evidence, a third-degree felony, in the death of 42-year-old Lisa Sipes. Bond was set at $1 million.
The charges stem from a May 26, 2023 incident when Schertz Police officers responded to the Palmera Apartments at 501 FM 3009 to check on Sipes. Officers reportedly entered the residence and found her deceased. Due to what they described as suspicious circumstances inside the apartment, an investigation was immediately launched.
As detectives worked the case, Declouette was identified as a person of interest. He was arrested a little more than a year later, on June 28, 2024, on a warrant related to tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
On October 2, 2025, the case was presented to a Guadalupe County grand jury, which returned the murder and tampering indictments. A warrant for his arrest was issued the same day. On October 6, Schertz investigators, working alongside the Corpus Christi Police Department Gang Unit, located and apprehended Declouette without incident in Corpus Christi. He has since been arraigned and is being transported back to the Guadalupe County Jail.
Schertz Police Chief Jim Lowery issued a statement following the arrest.
“The Schertz Police Department wishes to thank all our law enforcement partners and agencies involved in bringing this case closer to closure. We hope this arrest will aid and allow the family and friends of Lisa Sipes to move forward in their healing process in her tragic death. I would also like to recognize the exemplary work of our investigative team as this investigation was complex and compounded by the suspect tampering with the crime scene. However, their tenacity, due diligence and can-do attitude personify their competence for the law enforcement profession.”
Despite the indictment, officials say this case remains under active investigation. Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Schertz Police Department at 210-619-1200.