In the quiet evening of Monday, February 9, 2026, the life of 22-year-old Brandon Richards was tragically cut short in Killeen, Texas. Around 7:42 p.m., police were called to an apartment complex in the 2700 block of Cunningham Road following a report of a gunshot victim. Upon their arrival, they discovered Richards on the front porch of an apartment, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to Carl R.
Darnall Medical Center in critical condition.
Despite the efforts of medical personnel, Brandon Richards succumbed to his injuries. He was pronounced deceased at 8:26 p.m. by Justice of the Peace Gregory Johnson. The initial 911 call indicated that the person who shot Richards had fled the scene, sparking an immediate and intensive investigation by the Killeen Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Unit.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect. Two days later, on February 11, 2026, detectives with the Robbery-Homicide Unit arrested 22-year-old Natalia Lamontiara Trader in connection with the fatal shooting. The case was presented to the Bell County District Attorney's Office, resulting in two criminal complaints against Trader. She was subsequently charged with murder and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. In addition to these charges, Trader also faced a third charge for cruelty to a non-livestock animal, which is a third-degree felony.
Following her arrest, Natalia Lamontiara Trader was arraigned by Bell County Magistrate Anthony Woolstrum. A bond was set at $1 million for the murder charge and an additional $50,000 for the charge of tampering with evidence. Trader was then booked into the Bell County Jail as the investigation into the death of Brandon Richards continued.
