The year 2022 has been an unusually bloody and violent year in Wichita Falls.
By the end of October the city had recorded 18 homicides, which is the largest number in at least 20 years.
Homicide and murder are sometimes misconstrued as being the same thing. They are not. Under law, a homicide is the taking of a life by another person. That can include justifiable killings and manslaughter as well as murder.
Here are the homicides so far in 2022:
Feb. 1 – Justifiable homicide
Dustin Davidson, 29, had arrest warrants when Wichita Falls Police stopped him at the Walmart on Lawrence Road. An investigation determined that Davidson opened fire on officers when they tried to stop the vehicle he was in. Officers returned fire. Davidson was killed and a woman driving the vehicle suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Feb. 12 – Capital murder
Floyd Kirt, 51, was shot and killed as he worked as a clerk in the Stripes convenience store at 2200 Southwest Parkway.Tajmon Laterrance Robison, 22, was arrested six days later and charged with capital murder. He awaits trial.
April 20 – Murder
Zoe Brewer, 20, was found dead in her home of a fentanyl overdose. Jakob Blankenship was arrested Aug. 29 and charged with murder in the case. He is jailed in lieu of $1 million bail.
May 21 – Murder
Zachary Wood was beaten to death at a home at 2100 Brown Street.William Andrew Bell, Payton Mackenzie Collier, Ashley Marie Esselborn and Ronnie Preston Lang, Jr.were indicted in the case. Lang pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Bell was released on $200,000 bail. Collier remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail. Esselborn remains jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail.
May 22 – Murder
Andrew Lopez, 32, was found dead in his pickup with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest. No arrests have been made and the case remains open.
June 1 – Murder
Andrew Gable, 15, died from a gunshot wound at a hospital. Police determined he was shot in the vicinity of 23rd and Grace streets during a marijuana transaction. A 16-year-old juvenile was arrested the following day. Isaiah Rey Sims, 17, was arrested June 7. Both Sims and the juvenile were charged with capital murder. Sims remains jailed in lieu of $1.5 million bail.
June 4 – Manslaughter
Justin Feliciano, 40, was killed when a car struck his motorcycle at the intersection of Avenue O and Kemp Boulevard. Although considered a homicide, the case is listed as closed.
June 8 – Capital murder (counts as two cases)
Kaycee Wofford, 19, was 39 weeks pregnant when she was found dead in a house at 1621 Deer Parkway. The victim’s husband, Paul Chandler, claimed an intruder was responsible. However, Chandler was arrested and charged June 9 with Capital Murder of Multiple Persons. He awaits trial in the Wichita County Jail in lieu of $1.5 million bail.
June 21 – Murder
Paul Matthew Day was shot to death near Scotland Park Elementary School. Jason Christopher Myers, who said he believed the victim was bothering children at the school, was charged. He was released on $100,000 bail July 11.
June 25 – Double capital murder (counts as two cases)
Mark Barnett, 52, andConcepta St. Hilaire, 52, were found shot to death in the driveway of a home at 220 Cartwright Lane. The suspect, Jason St. Hilaire, 50, was found dead of a gunshot wound in a nearby vehicle. Because it was determined to be a double murder and suicide, the case was closed.
July 15 – Murder
Andres Diaz, 21, died July 15 in a Wichita Falls Hospital from a fentanyl overdose. Jasinto Jimenez, 21, and Leigha Ruth Smith, 22, were charged with providing the drug. Smith remains jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail and Jimenez is jailed in lieu of $1 million bail.
July 24 – Manslaughter/Intoxication Manslaughter with Vehicle
Michael Lynn Little, 33, was killed when he was thrown from a speeding pickup in the 800 block of northbound Lloyd Ruby Overpass. Bryan Hernandez, 36, was charged. He is jailed in lieu of $175,000 bail.
Aug. 1 – Murder
Cordera Sherrard Walker, 34, was found shot to death in the parking lot of the Haystack nightclub in the 300 block of Scott Avenue. No arrests have been made in the case.
Oct. 1 – Murder
Jorge Gonzalez was found shot to death in a parking lot of a convenience store in the 1500 block of North Eighth Street. Adan Chavez was arrested and booked on Oct. 22. He remains in jail in lieu of $1 million bail.
Oct. 26 – Murder
James Shierling, 70, was found murdered in his apartment at 1317 11th St. Police have not released a cause of death and no arrest has been made.
Oct. 27 – Murder
Michael Dewayne Allen, 45, was shot to death in the front yard of a home in the 700 block of Welch Street. Another man was wounded. Police issued a warrant for Sidney Donnell Garcia, 28, in connection with the case.
