On the evening of March 19, 2024, Beaumont Police Department officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 4100 block of Chaison Avenue. Upon arrival, they discovered 17-year-old Ta'Dran Amon Carmon inside a white 2015 Kia Optima that was backed into a yard. Carmon, a senior at Beaumont United High School, was pronounced deceased at the scene by Beaumont EMS. Justice of the Peace Ransom Jones ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
In the days following the incident, investigators identified 19-year-old Beaumont resident Koy Wayne Dodd Jr. as a suspect in Carmon's murder. A warrant for Dodd's arrest was issued, with bond set at $975,000. Authorities considered Dodd armed and dangerous and sought the public's assistance in locating him.
On April 1, 2024, Dodd surrendered to law enforcement at the Jefferson County Jail, where he was charged with Carmon's murder. Subsequent investigations revealed that Dodd and 16-year-old Jayleen Westbrook had allegedly conspired to rob Carmon at gunpoint on the night of his death. Both Dodd and Westbrook were indicted for first-degree murder and held on $975,000 bonds.
Ta'Dran Carmon's untimely death deeply affected the Beaumont community, particularly at Beaumont United High School, where he was remembered as a dedicated student nearing graduation. The case against Dodd and Westbrook proceeded through the legal system, with the community closely monitoring developments in the pursuit of justice for Carmon.
