Today is
Saturday June 13, 2026
TYLER (AP) – Police have arrested a man accused of opening fire at an East Texas house in gunfire that left his former girlfriend wounded and her new boyfriend and her teenage son dead. Gregg County jail records show Tony Waters, 55, of Kilgore was being held Wednesday on a capital murder charge, with bond set at $1 million. Tyler police say Waters was arrested Tuesday in Longview, a day after the deadly shootings. Officer Don Martin says the gunfire killed Charlie Verdell, 51, and Daquan Munson, 17. Martin says Munson’s mother remained hospitalized Wednesday. Her condition wasn’t immediately released. Martin says the mother and son recently moved into the house and that Verdell had been dating the woman.
TYLER — Tyler Police are investigating a Monday night shooting that left two people dead and one injured. It was reported just before 10:00 on W. Dobbs. 51-year-old Charlie Verdell and 17-year-old Daquan Munson were killed. Arriving officers found Verdell on the front porch; he died later at a hospital. Munson and his mother, 32-year-old Ladidre Patrice Blevins, were found inside. Munson was dead at the scene. Blevins remained in a hospital at last report; her condition was not immediately released. A witness told officers they saw a black male with a gun running from the scene. Authorities announced Tuesday afternoon a suspect is in custody in the case. Arrested in Longview was Tony Waters, 55, of Kilgore.
TYLER — The Tyler ISD Board of Trustees will address how it will move forward with the Robert E. Lee High School name change discussion during its Monday meeting. A statement from board president Rev. Fritz Hager Jr. released Thursday evening says the item is for discussion only. No decisions have been made and no action will be taken. There are several options the board could choose from after the consultation. Hager says most of the discussion has focused on making a change, but not how to go about the process or what the new name might be.
TYLER — A Whitehouse woman has pleaded guilty to federal violations. Shelly Hunter, 47, pleaded guilty July 16 to interstate transport of stolen funds. According to information presented in court, from March 2005 until February 2017 Hunter was employed as the Business Office Manager for Peltier Chevrolet, Inc. in Tyler. Beginning March 2011, Hunter embezzled and stole funds belonging to the dealership. Hunter used the stolen funds to pay her personal credit cards. In some instances, she mailed checks to pay her accounts. She also directly wired funds from the dealership’s bank account to her credit card accounts. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A theft suspect has been added to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office’s Most Wanted list. According to our news partner KETK, Broderick Walker is wanted for theft of property. Smith County judicial records list numerous convictions for Walker, including possession of marijuana, failure to appear, driving while intoxicated, theft of property, criminal trespass and fraudulent use/possession of identifying information items. Walker also has other outstanding warrants from the SCSO and the Tyler Police Department. If you know of Walker’s whereabouts, please contact the SCSO at (903) 566-6600 or the TPD at (903) 531-1000.
SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man is scheduled to appear in court for a jury trial Monday for allegedly recording a female coworker while she was in the restroom. Victor Antonio Cruz-Castellanos, 30, is charged with invasive visual recording in a bathroom/dressing room. A jury trial wa scheduled for 10:00 a.m. in the court of 241st District Judge Jack Skeen. According to our news partner KETK, the incident reportedly occurred in December 2017. Tyler police said a woman was going into the restroom when Cruz-Castellanos asked if he could go in before her. Cruz-Castellanos then allegedly put a cellphone in a cabinet across from the stall in order to record her. Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES — Authorities have recovered the body of a man who drowned Thursday afternoon at Lake Nacogdoches. According to our news partner KETK and Nacogdoches Police, around12:50, 911 dispatchers received a call about a man who went under the water in the west swimming area at Lake Nacogdoches. When first responders arrived at the scene, the man showed no signs of life. The identity of the victim has not been released. Police say the investigation is ongoing.
HARRISON COUNTY — A Harrison County grand jury this week indicted Miguel Rabadan, 59, of Longview, on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The indictment says on May 13, Rabadan injured a man by hitting him in the head with a garden hoe. According to our news partner KETK, the victim told police that he and Rabadan had been drinking together at their mobile home park when Rabadan became angry that the other man’s dog had bitten him on his foot four weeks earlier. The man told police that Rabadan started screaming, picked up a garden hoe and hit him in the head with the blade.
TYLER — A lip sync battle among police departments has swept social media. The Tyler Police Department has posted an epic video of their own. Tyler police joined other agencies in competing in an unofficial contest to highlight public safety and improve law enforcement’s image. The phenomenon has spread through challenges issued to other departments. The Facebook post has 1.4 million views and has been shared more that 49,000 times, so far. #LipSyncChallenge Watch video on Facebook
SMITH COUNTY – A man identified as Anthony Watkins, 59, of Dallas has died in an accident that caused traffic problems in Smith County. That’s according to our news partner KETK. Interstate Highway 20 at the Toll 49 bridge was reopened Monday afternoon. According to the Department of Public Safety report, a truck tractor struck the bridge. Traffic had to be rerouted on the service road until the interstate was reopened. According to Kathi White with TxDOT, the south end of the bridge shifted about three inches during the crash. It has been inspected by a bridge engineer, who says there is some minor damage that will necessitate repairs but it does not affect the strength of the bridge. Repairs will be conducted by the Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority, which is responsible for Toll 49.
CHEROKEE COUNTY — The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a Tyler man. The body of Olen John Defoore, 38, was found in a car off County Road 3306 Friday, July 6. Officials said they do not believe foul play was involved. Defoore’s body has been sent for autopsy. Additional details were not immediately available.
HENDERSON COUNTY — Two people have been arrested for possession of methamphetamine after they were stopped for littering. It happened Monday in Gun Barrel City. According to Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, Naomi Butler, 26, of Malakoff, and Joshua Fry, 25, of Athens, were taken into custody. They both reportedly admitted to possessing marijuana. A search of their vehicle yielded a quantity of methamphetamine hidden behind the driver’s seat. Butler also admitted to concealing meth on her person and surrendered it to the officers. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST TEXAS — A west Texas doctor faces up to five years in federal prison. Dr. Frank Gonzales Jr. is an Odessa chiropractor and has agreed to plead guilty to his part in a $200 million bribery and kickback scheme. A Ft. Worth surgeon, Shawn Henry, has pleaded not guilty in the same case involving hundreds of referrals for surgery at Forest Park Medical Center in north Texas. Several other people have also entered not guilty pleas, including Doctors Gerald Foox, of Tyler and David Kim, of Southlake. The Forest Park Medical Center closed its 5 north Texas locations and filed for bankruptcy in 2016.
TYLER – Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones. Motorists should prepare for a slow-down on I-20 when the eastbound inside lane will be closed for approximately three days near the Van Zandt/Kaufman County line for work on an ongoing safety project. The lane closure is set for 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, Monday thru Wednesday.
In Tyler, daily lane closures are again being implemented on the Spur 248 widening project. The contractor will be conducting seal coat and paving operations which will cause brief delays for traffic. Summer seal coat operations continue in the Tyler District. Motorists should expect lane closures and delays during this work to seal and protect roadways from water, and provide a longer life cycle. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY — Longview police arrested a 52-year-old Longview man early Friday on suspicion of threatening a man with a pipe after waking up the victim and his wife, according to a report. According to the Longview News-Journal, Anthony Scott McClung was being held Friday on a $20,000 bond in Gregg County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon family violence, according to the report and jail records.