Today is
Sunday July 26, 2026
NACOGDOCHES – One man has been killed and one arrested following a Nacogdoches shooting death. It happened around 7:00 Wednesday night at the University Club Apartments, on Pearl Street. Dead from a gunshot wound to the head was Michael Brucks, 19, of Nacogdoches. Charged with manslaughter is Paul Ivan Gutierrez, 20, of Nacogdoches. He was found walking down the road a short time after the shooting. Witnesses told investigators the two men were horsing around with a high powered rifle when it fired.
NACOGDOCHES COUNTY — A search is underway by Nacogdoches County law enforcement officials for an escaped inmate. Robin Copeland, 56, was transported to a local hospital after making a medical complaint. That’s when she made a break for it just after midnight this morning. Copeland was last seen wearing a blue county issued jump suit. She was arrested in September on warrants for tampering with a government record, theft of service and failure to appear, all felonies. A new warrant has been issued for her arrest for the offense of escape, a 3rd degree felony. Anyone with information on Copeland’s whereabouts is asked to immediately contact law enforcement. Read the rest of this entry »
SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man originally charged with murder has plead guilty to a lesser charge. Randall Lamont Britton, 32, of Tyler, was in Judge Kerry Russell’s court Monday. According to our news partner KETK, Britton pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 30. Back in 2014, Smith County Sheriff Deputies were called to a house in the northeastern part of the county shortly before 2 a.m. August 18. The body of RL Britton, 56, of Tyler, was found inside the home. The victim was said to be the suspect’s adoptive father.
RUSK COUNTY — Rusk County officials are searching for a man accused of sexual assault of a child and other crimes. According to our news partner KETK, the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office is searching for James Paul Calvert, 47. He is wanted on two counts of child sexual assault, burglary of a habitation and escape. Anyone with any information on Calvert is urged to call the Rusk County Sheriff’s Department at 903-657-3581 or Rusk County Crime Stoppers at 903-655-tips (8477).
LONGVIEW — One of the two men charged with manslaughter in a fatal September 22, 2017, wreck on North Eastman Road is back in the Gregg County Jail. According to the Longview News Journal and our news partner KETK, Chad Palmer Malone, 20, of Longview, was jailed again Saturday. He and co-defendant Daven Davis, 20, of Hallsville, were arrested in February on charges related to the wreck that killed two people, Malone’s sister Rylee Malone and his fiancee, Meshebia Johnson, who were passengers in his car. The driver of the second vehicle in the wreck, Christa Wilson, of Harleton, was hospitalized after the crash with life-threatening injuries. Malone was released from the Gregg County Jail on May 15 on bond. Malone was scheduled for trial October 15, but instead an affidavit to surrender the defendant was issued Wednesday. Malone is being held on $600,000 bond.
TYLER — Tyler police are searching for two suspects wanted in an aggravated robbery. It happened around 4:00 Saturday afternoon at the T-Mobile store, 3320 Troup Highway. Police said two black males, early 20s, entered the store and demanded money and merchandise. One suspect displayed a handgun during the robbery. An undisclosed amount of money and items were stolen from the store before the suspects left the scene in a white Nissan Maxima. No injuries were reported. Anyone with information is urged to contact Tyler Police or CrimeStoppers.
SMITH COUNTY — A multi-agency sting operation ends with nine people behind bars for online solicitation of a minor. According to Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith, the suspects were arrested when they arrived at an undisclosed location after soliciting sex online with investigators posing as minors. Tyler Police, Longview Police, FBI, ICE agents, DPS and Highway Patrol Division arrested the suspects Wednesday and Thursday. Read the rest of this entry »
EAST TEXAS — A Kilgore woman convicted for the 2003 shooting death of her boyfriend in Beckville is released on bond pending a new trial date. According to our news partner KETK, Deborah Smiley McFadden, was convicted of killing her ex-boyfriend, Edward Eugene George Jr. She was sentenced to 40 years in prison. McFadden was released on a $5,000. McFadden, who was Deborah Gaye Smiley at the time of the shooting, was living with George Jr. while divorcing her husband, Terry Smiley, whom she had previously shot in the leg. Following an argument with George Jr. McFadden retrieved a gun from her car and shot the victim in the face. McFadden claimed self-defense. She had also been found guilty of shooting Terry Smiley.
SMITH COUNTY — One person is dead in a Smith County crash. The DPS says troopers responded around 7:16 Wednesday morning to FM 756 just north of FM 346, 3 miles west of Whitehouse in Smith County. Preliminary crash reports indicate that the driver of a 2006 Jeep, Keaton Pierce Conder, 18, of Tyler was traveling south on FM 756, crossed over the center line into northbound lane, and struck a 2002 Chevrolet 1500 pickup. The driver of the Chevrolet, John J. Talton, 62, of Whitehouse was pronounced at the scene. Conder was transported to a Tyler hospital in stable condition. The crash remains under investigation.
TYLER — A Tyler man has been booked into the Smith County Jail after police say he barricaded himself inside a vehicle. Rocky Lasiter, 57, has been charged with criminal trespass. Tyler police said around 7:45 Tuesday night, officers were patrolling the Fair Plaza Parking Garage at Elm and Broadway when they came across a man said to be loitering. As the officers approached the man, he barricade himself in a van, that was not his, and covered the windows in an attempt to hide. The standoff lasted more than an hour before police broke out a window and arrested him. Lasiter was not armed and no injuries were reported. He originally gave officers a false name and has also been charged with failure to identify.
SMITH COUNTY — A two vehicle wreck on I-20 West has left three women dead. It happened around 4:20 Monday morning near the 557 mile marker, east of Lindale. According to the DPS report, a tractor trailer rig was parked on the shoulder when it was struck by a Jeep SUV, driven by Elizabeth Brewer, 36, of Grand Prairie. Brewer was transported to UT Health-Tyler were she was later pronounced dead. Two 16-year-old female passengers in the Jeep were pronounced at the scene. The operator of the truck, who was asleep in the sleeper cab, Joseph Allen Bettis, 31, of Milton, Florida was not injured. The wreck remains under investigation.
SMITH COUNTY — Two people are dead following an early morning crash on Interstate 20. According to our news partner KETK, DPS Troopers were called to the scene near U.S. Highway 69 and Jim Hogg Road around 4:30 a.m. Troopers say a car ran into the back of a 18-wheeler, causing it to slide under. Two people in the car were pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers, Lindale Fire Department, Smith County Sheriff’s Office and EMS responded. One lane of westbound traffic on Interstate 20 was still shut down at last report.
FLINT — The Texas Department of Agriculture has found gas pump skimming devices for one of the first times in a largely rural area, and sees the find as a possible change in tactics or distribution by organized crime. According to our news partner, KETK, an agriculture department inspector found three skimmers on three pumps last Thursday at a Stop N Shop Food Mart in Flint. Law enforcement officers removed the devices for use as evidence of the crime of skimming, where culprits can steal account information from credit and debit cards. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller issued the report a week after Kilgore police reported finding several skimming devices inside pump machines at a convenience store on South Henderson Boulevard. Read the rest of this entry »
NACOGDOCHES (AP) — An East Texas sheriff’s deputy has died after he was struck by two vehicles while attempting to remove debris from a roadway. The Nacogdoches County sheriff’s office says in a statement that deputy Raymond “Brad” Jimmerson was killed early Friday when he was struck north of the city of Nacogdoches. It wasn’t clear what the 49-year-old Jimmerson was removing from the road, but authorities say he was struck by a passenger car and the impact then pushed him into the path of an SUV. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating. Jimmerson had been with the sheriff’s department for 19 years and in 2006 was named, along with another deputy, as the East Texas Peace Officer Association’s officer of the year. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — A Tyler man has been arrested for a shooting Thursday night that sent one victim to the hospital. Corey Lee McDaniel, 35, was arrested around 2:30 Friday morning. He was booked into the Smith County Jail on a charge of Aggravated Assault. His bond was set at $300,000. Dustin Massey, 39, remains in the hospital in stable condition. Tyler police said the two men had gotten into an argument that ended in gunfire at a gas station on East Erwin and Loop 323. Investigators determined that both subjects had fired weapons with approximately 15 rounds exchanged between the two. McDaniel was determined to be the aggressor in the shooting and Massey was in self-defense.
TYLER — Three people with impressive community service resumes were the big honorees at Tuesday’s annual meeting of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce. The husband and wife team of Drs. Sasha Vukelja and Larry Anderson received the T.B. Butler Award as Tyler’s most outstanding citizens. In an emotion-filled acceptance speech, Vukelja found time for a bit of humor about her old New York friends. Vukelja told the crowd, “They told me I lost my mind when I moved to Texas — but every time they come to Texas, we can’t get ’em out of the house; they keep coming back!” Anderson said as he looked at the list of past honorees, “It’s just a who’s who of Tyler, and we’re humbled to join it.” Read the rest of this entry »
MARSHALL — A woman who was arrested in August for reportedly orchestrating a murder-for-hire scheme has been indicted by a Harrison County grand jury for solicitation to commit capital murder. According to our news partner KETK, the indictment for Trisha Groot George, 33, shows she attempted to request, command and induce a man to cause the death of her husband, William George. The Marshall Police Department Criminal Investigations Division received a tip indicating Trisha George was reportedly attempting to hire someone to murder her husband. She was booked into the Harrison County Jail with bond set at $1 million.
LONGVIEW — Police are investigating two drive-by shootings at the same residence. Sgt. Shane McCarter of the Longview Police Department confirmed two shootings occurred at a home on Lane Wells. According to our news partner KETK, the first shooting occurred September 29 at 2:30 am, the second shooting Monday at 10:30 am. Neighbors and residents of the home are cooperating with the investigation. The targeted occupants say they are unaware of why anyone would want to hurt them. No injuries have been reported. The incident is now classified as a “deadly conduct” event.
LONGVIEW — Longview police responded to a report of shots fired around 12:45 Saturday morning on Clover Lane. An individual called 911 and reported that a man had been shot on his front porch and was bleeding. Officers found the victim, Henry England Williams, 32, sitting in a chair on his front porch. Williams was transported to a local hospital where he died around 3:30 a.m. from injuries he sustained from being shot. Anyone with information is asked to contact Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-STOP.
TYLER — Tyler Police continue to investigate a hit and run wreck involving a cyclist. It happened just before 10:00 pm September, 24 on Grande Blvd. Officers said a 38-year-old man, wearing a reflective vest and flashing lights on his bicycle, was struck as he was heading eastbound on Grande Blvd near Sutherland Street. The cyclist struck the windshield, then landed in the traffic lane. The driver failed to stop and render aid. A vehicle drove up on the injured person after it happened and called first responders. The bicyclist was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. The suspect vehicle should have front end damage and possibly a broken windshield. Tyler police are asking for anyone that may have information contact the department 903-531-1000 or Tyler Crime Stoppers 903-597-2833.
GREGG COUNTY — A Gladewater man accused of scalding a 3-year-old child has been indicted by a Gregg County grand jury. According to our news partner KETK, Deion Marquis Sanders, 22, was arrested July 3 after Gladewater police were contacted by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Officials said the child had been seriously injured while in the custody of a caregiver. The 3-year-old was taken to a Longview hospital with severe burns, then later transferred to a medical center in Dallas. Sanders told officers he held the child under hot water to clean him up after he soiled his pants. Sanders also admitted to smoking marijuana.He was indicted for causing serious bodily injury to a child and remains in the Gregg County Jail on $100,000 bond.
EAST TEXAS — The FCC will be voting today to propose rules implementing Kari’s Law. The law requires phone systems to let people dial 911 directly, without having to dial a prefix – like “nine” – to reach an outside line. It was named after Kari Hunt Dunn. She was murdered by her estranged husband in front of her children at a motel in East Texas. Her daughter tried to call 911 from the motel room phone four times, but the call wouldn’t go through because she needed to dial another number first. Governor Greg Abbott signed Kari’s Law in 2015. A national version of the law was signed by President Trump earlier this year.
HENDERSON — Police have arrested 28-year-old, Damian Faustino Paz-Santovenia, on allegations that he installed a skimmer at a gas station in Henderson. According to our news partner KETK, investigators said they were able to identify Paz-Santovenia using fingerprints that were lifted from the skimmer at the Exxon gas station on Kilgore Drive. Paz-Santovenia, who was born in Cuba and living in Houston, was caught on camera at a Henderson Wal-Mart where police said several victim’s credit card numbers were used. An arrest warrant was issued for Paz-Santovenia on August 24th. Paz-Santovenia was booked into the Rusk County jail on Saturday, charged with second-degree unlawful interception of an electronic communication. He is currently being held on a $250,000 bond.
SMITH COUNTY — A trial date has been set for a woman accused of killing two people while driving intoxicated on Toll 49. According to our news partner KETK, Jessica Lauren Vass, 35, of Lindale, is set to be in court for a jury trial Monday, September 24, in Judge Jack Skeen’s court. On the night of April 12, 2017 State Troopers responded to a three-vehicle accident on Toll 49, just north of Highway 64. The preliminary crash investigation revealed a car, driven by Annette Burkhart, 56, of Garland, was stopped southbound on the side of the roadway with a flat tire. A pickup truck, driven by Gary McCrary, 62, of Flint, was stopped behind the disabled car and McCrary was assisting Burkhart in changing the flat tire. Read the rest of this entry »
GREGG COUNTY — A roadway is open again after a tanker truck hauling fuel caused traffic delays following a leak. FM 2087, just before the overpass at I-20 in Longview, was tempirarily shut down. TxDOT now says the area has been cleared.
EAST TEXAS — East Texans are busy helping out with Hurricane Florence relief. Red Cross of East Texas in Tyler sent five volunteers to the Carolinas and Virginia before Florence arrived, and the Longview Fire Department dispatched a fire captain trained in water rescues. According to our news partner KETK, Red Cross volunteers Allan and Janet Sherman headed September 11 to Texarkana to pick up an emergency response vehicle bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, said East Texas Executive Director Tammy Prater. She added David Brown of Gilmer left last week to meet a driver in Oklahoma headed to Virginia. Read the rest of this entry »
LONGVIEW — The murder trial is underway for a Longview man charged in the fatal shooting of a Gladewater man outside a nightclub in 2017. According to our news partner KETK, a jury was picked Monday to hear arguments in the case of Kyron Delyn Adams, 39, accused of shooting Thomas Lynn Harper, 34, after a fight outside J’s Place on February 4, 2017. According an arrest warrant filed by Longview police, Adams shot Harper in the back after a fight. Adams faces charges of first-degree murder and third-degree unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Adams has been held in the Gregg County Jail on $600,000 bond and a Texas Department of Criminal Justice parole warrant since Feb. 9, 2017.
LONGVIEW — Additional details are still not available concerning a Longview shooting that left one person dead and one injured. Both were taken to to Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center where Lee Brightman Jr., 29, died. An 18-year-old suffered non-life threatening injuries. His name has not been released. According to the Longview Police Department’s Facebook page, the shooting happened around 3:45 Thursday afternoon at a business on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. . Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER — The City of Tyler wants to inform Tyler Water Utilities and Municipal Court customers who used the one-time payment option through the Click2Gov online-payment system to notify their banking institution and have a new debit or credit card issued. According to our news partner KETK, It applies to online and in-person options. Fraud cases are still being reported to the Tyler Police Department after the city was notified that an unknown third-party was able to gain access to payments made through the system. The system is used to collect payments for utilities and municipal court fines and fees. The date range of the breach is June 18, 2018, to Aug. 21, 2018. Read the rest of this entry »
RUSK COUNTY — A date has been set for the execution of a Rusk County man who murdered his girlfriend’s baby. According to our news partner KETK, Blaine Milam, 28, will be put to death on January 15, 2019 for killing Amora Carson. In December 2008, Milam, along with the child’s mother, Jessica Carson, beat Amora to death with a hammer in an alleged exorcism. The pair were found guilty back in 2011. Carson was sentenced to life in prison without parole.