On the night of March 1, 2026, in Beaumont, Texas, 31-year-old Chrishiann Joy Marks was at the Pine Club Apartments on Pine Street when her life was tragically cut short. At approximately 11:37 p.m., multiple gunshots were fired into the apartment where she was present with a friend. The bullets pierced through the residence, striking and fatally wounding Marks. Her friend, who was with her at the time, ducked for cover and attempted to render aid, but she was unresponsive.
When Beaumont Police officers arrived at the scene, they found her deceased inside the apartment.
The investigation that followed pointed to the shooting not being a random act of violence. Detectives believed the specific apartment was the intended target, stemming from a prior disagreement involving the occupants. As they delved deeper into the case, the Beaumont Police Department sought the public's help, asking residents in the area to review any surveillance footage for suspicious activity around the time of the shooting. Their investigative efforts led them to a person of interest who was soon detained.
A significant breakthrough in the case came with the arrest of 24-year-old Kimothy Bessard of Port Arthur. After being brought in on an unrelated outstanding warrant, Bessard waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with detectives. During the interview, he provided a full confession to the fatal shooting of Chrishiann Joy Marks, giving specific details about the crime that investigators stated would only be known by someone who was involved. This information was further corroborated by physical evidence collected at the scene.
Kimothy Bessard was subsequently charged with murder and is being held at the Jefferson County Correctional facility. His bond was set at $1.5 million. The conditions of his bond prohibit him from contacting the victim's family or any witnesses in the case, and he is also not allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition. Additionally, he is required to be under home confinement with GPS monitoring. Bessard was also being held on an unrelated charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon from a previous incident in December 2025, with a separate bond of $500,000 for that charge. While one arrest has been made, police have indicated that the investigation is ongoing and that further arrests are anticipated.
