Although he once stood in her corner and fiercely defended her, a community activist has now cut ties with the mother of 4-year-old missing Houston girl, Maleah Davis, and claims the woman acts differently when the cameras weren’t on her.

“There was not a lot of tears. She was always calm, fluid, clear. Now whenever there was a public thing, she would always break down,” Quanell X told KHOU. “Ain’t no way in hell a parent with common sense would have handled this entire situation the way Brittany handled this entire situation.”

Quanell was once the spokesperson for Brittany Bowens, mother of Maleah. He vehemently defended her when others accused her knowing more about her daughter’s disappearance than she let on. Now it seems, he has become one of her worst critics.

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“(She) said to me when we (were) riding in my car what she believed really happened to Maleah. At that point, I knew what needed to be done. So I arranged to meet as quickly as I could with investigators at the highest level of this case and shared everything that we had learned and discovered.”

Quanell said Bowens told him something alarming about the primary suspect in Maleah’s disappearance, 26-year-old Derion Vence., according to a statement FOX 26 reporter Ivory Hecker shared.

Bowens claimed publicly that she has no idea what happened to her daughter, as she was out of state in Massachusetts when Maleah vanished. Yet, Quanell said Bowens admitted that Vence had a history of punching Maleah in the head. Bowens and Vence were in a relationship and living together in a Southwest Houston apartment when Maleah disappeared.

“One time in the car, I asked her about what happened to Maleah, I asked ‘you think he snapped and did something?’ Brittany said Derion probably punched her in the head, he has done that before. After that, I privately met with the district attorney’s office to share this with them and more.”

Quanell, who was reportedly asked by one of Bowens’ family members to help her out, said he knew within a few days that something about Bowens’ story wasn’t right. However, he decided to stick by her side in hopes that he could get information from her that she hadn’t told police.

The activist said he promptly told authorities his suspicions and explained how Bowens’ own words caused alarm for him shortly after talking to her. Authorities are reportedly still investigating.

Quanell emphasized that he doesn’t think Bowens knows where her little girl is. Yet, the details the woman supposedly shared him led Quanell to believe she knows a lot more about what happened to Maleah than she is sharing.

“(Bowens) knows the truth,” Quanell told KHOU. “She knows eventually she’s going to have to give an answer for that.”

Meanwhile, Bowens told Hecker that everything Quanell is saying is a lie. According to what Bowens told Hecker,

• Quanell fabricated the story about Maleah being molested. Bowens reportedly claimed she never thought Vence molested her daughters.
• Quanell made up a story about her being in foster care; Bowens said she was never in foster care.
• Quanell lied about Vence abusing Maleah. Bowens claimed he only saw Vence “whoop Maleah just once.”
• Bowens said Quanell failed to help her like her promised.
• Bowens said she was the one who cut ties with Quanell after he did nothing to help as he said he would.

 

Meanwhile, little Maleah remains missing while Vence remains behind bars. Police arrested Vence earlier this month and charged him tampering with evidence after they found blood in his apartment that matched Maleah’s DNA. Cadaver dogs also picked up on possible human decomposition inside the trunk of Bowens’ Nissan Altima. Vence was driving the car around the time Maleah vanished.

Houston investigators said they don’t believe Maleah is still alive, but will continue to search for her until they find her.

Vence reported Maleah missing on May 4. He told Sugar Land police he was jumped by three Hispanic males on May 4, who then abducted Maleah while leaving him and his toddler son on the side of the road. Police said Vence’s story had holes in it from the beginning.

The last known sighting of Maleah was on April 30, when security footage at the Houston apartment complex recorded her walking with Vence. She was never seen again.

Shortly after Maleah was reported missing, Crime Stoppers of Houston offered a reward of $5,000, which according to the organization, is the standard initial amount. Louisiana couple Ronnie and Karen Bias put in an additional $10,000, bringing the total reward for Maleah to $15,000.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Houston Police Department at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

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[Feature Photo: Maleah Davis/Handout]