3 arrested in murder of Bedford man who was shot, burned inside his own car, officials say

Three suspects, including a juvenile, have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a 20-year-old Bedford man whose body was discovered inside a burning car in East Texas, officials said.

On Sept. 1, the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office and fire units responded to a vehicle fire. Human remains were discovered inside the car, according to a social media post from the sheriff’s office. Investigators suspected foul play and sent the body to Dallas for identification.

The victim, Kameron Montre Anderson of Bedford, was found to have been shot several times, officials said.

Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said at a Sept. 7 press conference that they believe Anderson was lured to the area through social media and was shot at a Smith County residence. His body was placed inside the trunk of his own vehicle, which was driven to neighboring Rusk County and set on fire.

Rusk County Sheriff Johnwayne Valdez told reporters at the press conference that investigators have been in touch with Anderson’s parents and are trying to piece together his life.

“What kind of guy was he? What did he do? What were his hobbies? Those things are crucial in this investigation,” Valdez said. “Because that’s the only way we’re going to find out what could have possibly made this case start to evolve to the point to where he lost his life and was burned up in his own car.”

Anderson’s parents have described their son “as your normal, everyday kid,” according to Valdez. The victim lived with his mother, and there’s been nothing to indicate Anderson was involved in something that could have led to his murder.

“He was somewhat of a gamer, he just loved life, loved being around his family, his friends,” Valdez said.

The two sheriffs’ offices, along with the Texas Rangers, are cooperating on the investigation. Eighteen-year-old Nathaniel Hall from Troup was identified as a potential suspect, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

On Sept. 4, a police officer in Tyler initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle with five people, and one of them turned out to be Hall. He had an AR-15 rifle and a 9 mm handgun in his possession that were found to be stolen.

The 9 mm handgun has been submitted for testing, but Smith and Valdez declined to share information about what type of weapon was used to kill Anderson and how many times he was shot, citing the ongoing investigation.

Hall has been booked into the Smith County Jail on a capital murder charge. His bond was set at $2 million, according to officials.

Investigators interviewed Hall’s mother and sister, and learned he was hanging out with 21-year-old Jasmine Williams of Tyler and a 16-year-old friend the night of the murder. According to Smith, a witness overheard them talking about doing a ‘rip,’ which means to rob someone in street terminology.

The 16-year-old, who hasn’t been identified because of their age, was located at a Tyler apartment complex. The juvenile attempted to flee, but was eventually arrested by Tyler police and booked into the Smith County Juvenile Detention Center.

Williams was surrendered to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office by her mother on Sept. 8 and is currently being held in the Smith County Jail on a $1 million bond, officials said. There’s no indication that Anderson knew any of the suspects.

Officials aren’t looking for any other suspects, and said there is no ongoing threat to the community.

Investigators are working to get information from the victim’s home computer, which is how they believe Anderson was contacted and lured to East Texas. They are also trying to get information from the cloud connected with the victim’s phone.

“This is gonna be a case that’s going to last a while,” Valdez said. When you’re dealing with a capital murder suspects, you want to make sure that everything is done the way it should be done.”

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