Second suspect arrested in Fort Worth gambling house robbery and murder case
A second murder suspect has been arrested after a night of violence when a man was robbed and killed over a gambling dispute in May, Fort Worth police said.
Jerome Thompson Watkins Jr., 31, was arrested Aug. 14 in connection with the death of 55-year-old Claude Jeter Smith, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Smith died in the hospital about a month after the shooting. Watkins’ co-conspirator Kennard Ivory, who owns the west Fort Worth home where the crimes took place, was also arrested last week, police said.
Smith and a relative were gambling at Ivory’s home the night before the shooting and had won several thousand dollars off of Ivory and Watkins, according to the affidavit obtained by the Star-Telegram. After Smith and his relative left with their winnings that night, Ivory tried to convince them to return to the home and continue gambling, police said. Smith declined, but told Ivory he would return the following night.
When Smith and his relative returned the next night, Ivory, Watkins and a third armed man were waiting in the home’s living room, according to the affidavit. Ivory went to the back of the house, and a masked man with a rifle came through the front door and shot Smith multiple times when he tried to run, police said. Ivory is accused of taking Smith’s money after he was shot.
Watkins then robbed Smith’s relative at gunpoint, making him empty his pockets and striking him on the back of the head, according to the affidavit.
Watkins, who goes by the nickname Oso, agreed to speak with detectives after being pulled over for a traffic violation on Aug. 13, police said.
In his interview, Watkins described the entire incident in a manner consistent with what homicide detectives found during the investigation and statements from the robbery victim, according to the affidavit.
Smith’s death is the second homicide to have occurred at Ivory’s home in the Como neighborhood in 2025. In February, 27-year-old Jordan Travis Moore was killed at the house on Blackmore Avenue, the Star-Telegram previously reported. Moore’s death may have been a drug-related shooting, according to police, and 33-year-old Desean Person has been indicted on a murder charge in that case.
Officials with the Fort Worth city attorney’s office did not comment on whether they would seek nuisance charges against Ivory related to repeated crimes at his property.
Jerome Watkins is being held in the Tarrant County Jail on a $250,000 bond and faces a charge of capital murder, according to online records. Ivory also faces a capital murder charge and is being held on $750,000 bond. Police have not yet announced arrests of the other two armed men believed to be involved in the shooting and robbery.
