Cory Bayless, a 43-year-old White man, was killed during a home invasion in Lake Jackson, Texas, on the night of June 27, 2022. He was a father whose final moments were captured on his home security cameras.
At about 11:10 p.m., police and EMS responded to a shooting at Bayless’s residence in the 200 block of Jasmine Street. First responders found him with gunshot wounds and pronounced him dead at the scene. His 17-year-old son had also been shot and was in critical condition.
The teenager was transported by Life Flight to Memorial Herman Hospital for treatment.
The investigation, conducted by the Lake Jackson Police Department along with the Brazoria County Crime Scene Unit and the district attorney's office, quickly led to two suspects. Warrants for capital murder were issued for 20-year-old Joseph Anthony Lee Moore and 23-year-old Daniel Benitez Curran. When a special response team attempted to serve the warrant on Moore at a residence in Sweeny, Texas, they heard a gunshot from inside. Officers found that Moore had a self-inflicted gunshot wound and took him to a hospital in critical but stable condition.
Curran was arrested a few days later. Both he and Moore were charged with capital murder, and each was held on a $25 million bond.
In January 2024, Joseph Anthony Lee Moore went to trial in Brazoria County's 412th District Court. A jury heard testimony and reviewed evidence, including security footage from the night of the shooting. After deliberations, the jury found Moore guilty of murder for the death of Cory Bayless. The following day, after hearing further arguments, the jury returned with a sentence of 38 years in state prison for Moore.
