In the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 24, 2026, the sound of gunfire shattered the quiet of a Beaumont, Texas neighborhood. Police were called to the 1900 block of Rafes Way around 7:45 a.m. for a report of shots fired. Inside a residence, they discovered the body of 31-year-old Joseph Manuel, who had been fatally shot.
The initial investigation quickly led detectives to a description of a possible suspect vehicle.
Utilizing the city's Real-Time Crime Center and its license plate reader technology, officers were able to track down the vehicle. They located it in the 5400 block of Pine Street, where they took 17-year-old Bryson Parkerson of Beaumont into custody without incident later that day. Parkerson was arrested and charged with tampering with evidence in connection with the homicide.
As the investigation deepened, authorities reviewed video surveillance and interviewed witnesses. This led them to identify a second suspect, 24-year-old Corey Comeaux. A warrant for murder was issued for his arrest. For weeks, Comeaux remained at large. The search came to an end on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, when the U.S. Marshals Service located and arrested him in Harris County.
While two suspects are now in custody, with Parkerson being held on a $125,000 bond, Beaumont police believe others may have been involved in Joseph Manuel's death. Investigators have stated that further charges are possible as they continue to look into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Authorities have encouraged anyone with information to contact the Beaumont Police Department or Southeast Texas Crime Stoppers.
