On April 3, 2023, at approximately 11:15 p.m., 48-year-old Richard Charles Coutee was fatally shot at his residence in the 1100 block of Maberry Street in Lufkin, Texas. According to police reports, Coutee answered a knock at his door and was immediately shot. Family members present in the home at the time heard the gunshot and promptly called 911; however, they did not see or hear the assailant.
In the subsequent investigation, Lufkin police identified four individuals as suspects in connection with Coutee's death. Two of these suspects were apprehended in April 2023: a juvenile whose identity has not been disclosed due to age, and 17-year-old Cassidy Johnson, who was detained and held in the Angelina County Jail on a $150,000 bond.
The remaining suspects, 17-year-old Trederrick Dewayne Sherman of Crockett and 18-year-old Jardon Lamontre Castle of Jasper, were subsequently located and arrested. Sherman was taken into custody on July 10, 2023, following a coordinated effort by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Lufkin and Crockett Police Departments, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. He was found at a residence on Briar Lane in Crockett.
Castle was apprehended shortly thereafter by the U.S. Marshals Service around midnight in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He was expected to be extradited to Angelina County following his arrest. Lufkin Police Department spokeswoman Jessica Pebsworth expressed gratitude for the efforts of the U.S. Marshals Service in securing Castle's arrest.
All four individuals have been charged with murder in connection to the fatal shooting of Richard Coutee. The arrests were the result of an intensive investigation by the Lufkin Police Department, with assistance from various law enforcement agencies. The community has been urged to keep Coutee's family in their thoughts during this difficult time.
