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Court records reveal a sinister motive behind the fatal stabbing of a mother-of-2 in the Houston area.

Police say Dawayland Hurst dated MaryJane Collins in order to retaliate against her baby’s father for killing Hurst’s brother in 2020.

Collins, 23, and her 2 young sons moved into unit 504 in an apartment complex in Seabrook, Texas on October 4.

Collins told friends that Hurst had been abusive toward her. Collins and Hurst began dating in June.

The violence escalated in the days before her death, according to court records.

Police say Hurst was in the apartment on October 4 when Michael King, the father of Collins’s sons, made a video call from prison on a smuggled cell phone. King was in prison for killing Hurst’s brother in 2020.

During the video call, Hurst taunted King then slapped one of King’s sons in the face.

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The child could be heard crying on the FaceTime call as Collins told Hurst to “get away from him.” The call ended abruptly at about 10 a.m., according to court documents.

Police say Hurst stabbed Collins to death before fleeing the apartment.

King apparently called his mother from prison and she posted to Facebook that someone should check on Collins.

Friends who saw the Facebook post called 911, and officers conducted a welfare check at the apartment.

Police found Collins’s body in her apartment. Her 2 sons were not harmed.

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An arrest warrant was issued for 22-year-old Hurst who is still at large.

Police said Hurst was “motivated to revenge the death of his brother” and “thus, befriended, abused and then murdered the victim who was the mother of Michael King’s children.”

Collins’ family tells ABC13 they want justice for her and that “Hurst needs to be arrested.”