The Bowie County Sheriff’s Office has identified a suspect in the double homicide that occurred last week on a private road near Simms, Texas. Sheriff Jeff Neal confirmed today that 34-year-old Clyde Allen Stephens II has been charged with Capital Murder in connection with the deaths of Charles Beckham and Donna Culpepper.
According to investigators, Charles Beckham, a corrections officer at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Johnston Unit in Winnsboro, Texas, returned to his home in the early morning hours of June 19 and interrupted Stephens in the middle of a burglary. Authorities say Stephens shot Beckham multiple times before setting Beckham’s truck and body on fire in an attempt to conceal the crime.
A few hours later, Donna Culpepper arrived at the residence for a planned meeting with Beckham to run errands. Investigators believe Culpepper stumbled upon the crime scene and was shot by Stephens, who then fled the area in her vehicle.
Stephens was later apprehended in Searcy, Arkansas, after law enforcement located him driving Culpepper’s stolen car. He is currently facing charges in White County, Arkansas, including Theft by Receiving and Fleeing. Once those charges are addressed, Stephens will be extradited to Bowie County to face a Capital Murder charge.
Sheriff Neal expressed his appreciation for the multiple agencies that assisted in the investigation and the apprehension of the suspect, including the White County Sheriff’s Office, White County District Attorney’s Office, Searcy Police Department, Arkansas State Police, Texas Department of Public Safety, FBI, Simms Volunteer Fire Department, Texarkana Texas Police Department, Bowie County OEM, and the Bowie County District Attorney’s Office.
A special acknowledgment was given to Bowie County Investigators Michelle Alexander, Brent Caudle, Edward Rawls, and Captain David Biggar for their dedicated work in bringing the case to a resolution.
“This case was solved because of the outstanding cooperation between agencies and the relentless work of our investigators,” Neal said in a statement.
Stephens remains in custody in Arkansas pending extradition.
