DPS to Release More Information Tonight About Killed Murder Suspect

MERTZON, TX — Troopers from the Texas DPS along with Irion County Sheriff's Deputies are gathering information from multiple sources and will update us tonight. DPS said this is in reference to the murder suspect who evaded law enforcement in the brushlands of Irion County for over 24 hours before he was discovered this afternoon inside the city limits of Mertzon, shot, and killed by law enforcement.

DPS tentatively a news conference for sometime tomorrow morning. We will be there live.

The Texas DPS and the Irion County Sheriff's Office had been searching for a fugitive from the law from Odessa. The man reportedly shot and killed a homeowner in the homeowner's driveway in southwest Ector County and stole the homeowner's car and fled. The chase led to Irion County and a involved a second car hijacking. Since yesterday afternoon, the fugitive abandoned first a black 2014 Mustang and then a stolen gold-colored Chevrolet Tahoe he was driving and fled on foot, eluding law enforcement up and until now.

DPS airborne assets were seen active in there area well after nightfall and the plane and accompanying DPS helicopters returned today. However, the airborne assets had left the area and landed at Mathis Field.

An unconfirmed report from a witness in Mertzon said that the fugitive found a bicycle. Deputies discovered him and he put up a fight, we were told. We have confirmed that the fugitive from justice was shot and killed, though we have conflicting information about how.

The homeowner in Ector County who was murdered n front of his own house, allegedly by this fugitive, was identified as Ronald Wayne Irvin, 74. Ector County Sheriff's Deputies had an idea of the name of the fugitive but were not sure enough to release the name. No one has released the name of the fugitive at the Mertzon crime scene.

Expect one more update tonight followed by a press conference in Mertzon tomorrow morning for the latest on this ordeal that ended tragically near the Irion County ISD stadium.