Police arrest second teen in stomping death of 71-year-old man in Fort Worth
Police on Sunday arrested a second teenager in connection with the March beating death of a 71-year-old man in the Morningside section of south Fort Worth.
Josiah Hoffman, 19, was booked on suspicion of murder in the March 21 assault of Donald Snellings in the 900 block of East Broadway Avenue. Snellings was beaten as he was lying on the ground, and his head was stomped into the concrete, Fort Worth police said.
The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office alleges that Snellings was beaten as he was being robbed.
Police on April 17 took into custody Javaughn Greer, 18, on an arrest warrant for murder. The district attorney’s office charged Greer with capital murder because it alleges the killing occurred as the suspects were committing a robbery.
Beyond having his head stomped, Snellings was punched in the face, hit and kicked in the torso and hit in the head and ribs with the victim’s walking cane.
Snellings was taken to a hospital and died on April 11.
Homicide Unit detectives interviewed the suspects before they were arrested.
Greer said he saw Snellings in front of a house in the 900 block of East Broadway Avenue, Detective Domingo Martinez wrote in an affidavit supporting an arrest warrant for Greer.
Greer said Snellings had for more than a year owed him over $1,000.
Greer said he asked Snellings to return the money, and Snellings became “slick” and reached for something, according to the affidavit.
When Detective Martinez asked for clarification, Greer said, “ ... I whooped on him ...,” according to the affidavit.
Greer said he punched Snellings about five times, “stomped his head in” using both feet and used Snellings’ wood cane to strike Snellings in his head, torso and ribs about 15 times in total, according to the affidavit.
Greer said he did not know the name of the other person with him when he beat Snellings.
“I hope that [expletive] died,” Greer said as walked away after the interview, according to the affidavit.
Hoffman was at Parkland Memorial Hospital on Sunday for an emergency mental evaluation. Detective Martinez interviewed him there.
Hoffman and Greer were walking in the 900 block of East Broadway Avenue when Snellings approached them, Hoffman said.
Snellings asked Hoffman and Greer for drugs and cigarettes, and the teenagers declined, he said.
Hoffman said Snellings tried to hit them with a cane, according to an affidavit supporting an arrest warrant for Hoffman.
Hoffman said he hit Snellings in the head with a fist until the older man became unconscious and fell to the ground, according to the affidavit.
Greer kicked him in the ribs, stomped on his head and picked up Snellings’ cane and hit the victim with it, Hoffman said.
Hoffman said he heard sirens and told Greer they needed to leave, but Greer would not stop hitting Snellings with the cane.
Hoffman said he had to push Greer away from the victim.
When they saw the police arrive in the area, Greer threw the cane over a vacant house, Hoffman told police.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office has not released the cause or manner of Snellings’ death.
This story was originally published May 5, 2025 at 10:02 AM.
