A man in Texas has been accused of shooting his ex-wife and stabbing their two young daughters months after the former couple finalized their divorce. Stephen Clare is facing several charges, including capital murder of a child under 10 years old, attempted capital murder of a child and aggravated assault with a weapon. Clare, 53, appeared at a status hearing before Judge Joel Perez in Bexar County's 437th Criminal District Court on Tuesday, January 20. Perez asked a state prosecutor and Clare's defense team to meet later that day to select a date for jury selection, according to KSAT. He is preparing for trial after authorities accused Clare of shooting his ex-wife, Mariah Gardner, and stabbing their two daughters on April 10, 2023, according to Law & Crime. One of the daughters, who was just 11 months old, tragically died from her injuries. Arkansas Mom, 2 Kids Found Dead Day After Final Divorce Hearing Clare and Gardner first met in October 2017, and they later welcomed their first daughter in August 2020 before they got married in June 2021, according to Newsweek. Gardner told the outlet that Clare's behavior grew increasingly concerning over the years. "It was as though he had two separate personalities," she said. "He had the ugly personality that caused arguments, said horrible things and was controlling, but he had a sweet side, too." Gardner filed for divorce in February 2022, and their second child was born soon after. A divorce decree was finalized in December 2022, and they were both granted shared custody of the two daughters. "About six months before the attack, he'd been stalking me and driving past my house at least 20 times per day. I would go somewhere without the girls, and he'd say that someone saw me," she told the outlet of her ex's troubling behavior. "He mentioned that, if he had to line all our children up in front of a firing squad, he'd only save Rosalie. He'd previously kicked me out of the house when I was 36 weeks pregnant with Willow, and he'd 'joke' that he'd kidnap me. He said dark things about himself, too." Gardner said that the day of the attack started as any other day. After she picked up her children from school and made them food, she claimed that Clare showed up to her San Antonio house angry. After entering the family's San Antonio home, Clare was seen chasing Gardner around the house via surveillance footage, according to WOAI. He then allegedly shot her five times before he stabbed their two daughters. Gardner's two sons, who she welcomed during a previous relationship, managed to escape the home unharmed. Man Charged With Shooting Married Couple He Met on a Dating App, Killing Wife "I will never get to hear my daughter tell me that she loves me," Gardner said of her deceased daughter. "I don't know that there is a punishment severe enough for the crime that he committed. No matter what they decide, he should never be a free man again." Clare was arrested after the attack. During a November 2025 court hearing, a Texas Department of Family and Protective Services worker reportedly testified that Clare didn't remember anything from the day of the attack, per Law & Crime. It's not currently clear if Clare has submitted a plea.