On Monday, May 22, 2023, Jeffery Dale Shelby of Mount Vernon was arrested for the murder of his roommate, 69-year-old Murrell Dempsey Newman.
Newman was found deceased at his home and his vehicle burned in a nearby area.
On May 20, Franklin County Sheriff Deputies responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle on County Road 4315. Upon arrival, the responding deputy found that the vehicle appeared to have been burned.
"At the time of the investigation into the circumstances surround the vehicle and its owner, it led to the discovery of a separate crime scene in the Pelican Bay development of Lake Cypress Springs," said Sheriff Ricky Jones in a statement.
According to a officials, a Probation Violation warrant for Aggravated Family Violence Assault was also issued for Shelby on the same day of his arrest.
Shelby currently being held in the Franklin County Jail on a $1 million bond for the murder charge and an additional $250k for the family asault charge.
Sheiff Jones thanks Franklin Water District Lake Patrol Chief Dana Reeves and Lake Patrol Officer Colby Horn, the Mount Vernon Police Department, and Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Rangers Division for their assistance and support in this case.
