Hi-Five Singer Russell Neal in Custody After Wife Found Dead

June 13, 2024

Russell Neal, vocalist with 1990s R&B group Hi-Five, is under police custody following the death of his wife.

According to reports, Neal voluntarily walked into the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, in Texas, on the evening of Wednesday July 2 and told police that his wife, identified as 24-year-old Catherine Martinez, was dead inside the couple’s Houston apartment following a heated argument. Unsubstantiated reports claim that the victim suffered multiple stab wounds as well as apparent blunt force trauma.

PHOTOS Hip-Hop’s Bling-iest Music Videos of All Time

She was pronounced dead at the scene. No charges have currently been filed against Neal, 40, though he is being detained by police.

The lawyer for Hi-Five, Chris Brown, is quoted by TMZ as saying: “We are aware of the situation and are presently evaluating it.”

Hi-Five’s popularity peaked in the early 1990s with the release of its self-titled debut album, which went multiplatinum and spawned the hits “I Can’t Wait Another Minute” and “I Like the Way (The Kissing Game),” the latter of which topped the Billboard Hot 100. (Watch the video below.)

PHOTOS Hollywood’s Most Fascinating Legal Sagas, From Casey Kasem to Michael Jackson

In 1992, the group released its sophomore set “Keep It Goin’ On,” which spawned the hits “She’s Playing Hard to Get,” and “Quality Time.” Reuniting after a decade-long hiatus, the group released its final album, “The Return,” in 2005.

In 2007, Hi-Five founder member Tony Thompson died of a drug overdose.

This story first appeared on Billboard.com.

Related Stories