Fort Worth police investigating first two homicides of 2025
Detectives with the Fort Worth Police Department are investigating the city’s first two homicides of 2025, officials said in a statement Wednesday morning.
The first homicide occurred at around 1 a.m. at a residence in the 8800 block of Sabinas Trail, according to police call records.
The victim was located inside the residence with a gunshot wound to the upper body, and medical personnel were dispatched to the scene at that time, officials said.
Despite medical intervention, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the statement.
Preliminary investigations found that the suspect and the victim were in the process of getting a divorce, but still shared a residence, police said.
The suspect, victim and a witness were involved in a verbal altercation when the suspect and witness went to a bedroom and locked the door, officials said.
The victim forced his way into the room, at which point the suspect shot him with a handgun, according to police.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as 48-year-old Joel Keith Simmonds.
The second homicide occurred in the 5700 block of Crowley Road, according to a police statement.
Officers found the victim on the ground in a parking lot with a gunshot wound to his upper body, officials said.
Initial investigation found that the victim might have confronted a car burglar in the parking lot and was shot during an altercation, police said.
The suspect fled after shooting the victim, according to the statement.
Homicide detectives are investigating both cases and no arrests have been made in either case, police said.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office will identify the deceased once next of kin have been notified.
This story was originally published January 1, 2025 at 11:04 AM.
