On June 28, 2023, 65-year-old Louis Roberson, a homeless veteran, was found deceased in a business center parking lot near TC Jester and FM 1960 in north Harris County, Houston. A friend who regularly joined him for breakfast and coffee discovered his body at the location where Roberson typically slept. Authorities reported that Roberson had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
Following an investigation, law enforcement identified 35-year-old Demetrius Lydell Simpson as the suspect in Roberson's death. Simpson resided approximately a mile from the crime scene. Upon searching his residence, police discovered a functional pipe bomb in his room. Consequently, Simpson was arrested and charged with murder, along with other offenses.
Additional investigations revealed that Simpson had prior charges, including the theft of a firearm from an Academy Sports + Outdoors store in April 2023. Deputies were able to recover the stolen firearm from a nearby pawn shop and identified Simpson as the suspect. He was also accused of assaulting an individual on a Houston Metro transit bus, though details of that case have not been fully disclosed.
Simpson was scheduled to appear in court on Friday following his arrest, where bond for the murder charge was expected to be set. The investigation into Roberson's death underscores the vulnerabilities faced by homeless individuals and the complexities involved in addressing crimes against this population.
