Inset left: Gregory Lewis (Tarrant County Jail). Inset right: Thomas King (GoFundMe). Background: The Taco Casa where Lewis and King worked in Fort Worth, Tex. (Google Maps).
A Texas man is behind bars after confessing to shooting and killing a co-worker at a popular Tex-Mex restaurant in Fort Worth, according to law enforcement in the Lone Star State.
Gregory D. Lewis, 34, stands accused of capital murder over the death of 31-year-old Thomas King, who went missing earlier this month. The defendant is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and a parole violation, according to Tarrant County jail records.
The victim was last seen on April 13, wearing his uniform for Taco Casa, a regional chain with locations in Texas and Oklahoma.
The next day, King's family reported him missing once he failed to return home after his shift at the Taco Casa on Bridgewood Drive in Fort Worth, according to the Fort Worth Police Department.
Law enforcement tracked the missing man's car to a Quality Inn on Interstate 20 in Arlington, according to an arrest warrant obtained by Dallas-based ABC affiliate WFAA.
Surveillance footage showed Lewis arriving in King's car shortly after the victim got off work on the day in question, police said. Later, detectives determined Lewis had worked alongside King at the eatery.
After homicide detectives took over the investigation late last week, police first arrested Lewis on unrelated charges. Then, while being interrogated, the defendant allegedly admitted to killing King.
"We were able to interview this individual, and the individual did claim and confess to actually murdering our missing person and leaving his vehicle," Fort Worth Police Officer Buddy Calzada said.
On Friday, investigators discovered King's body in an open field on the east side of Fort Worth, according to the police department.
Lewis would go on to explain how he got a ride from King after work that fateful night, police said. The pair then drove to a business complex nearby, according to the warrant. The victim's body was ultimately found in a wooded area behind the complex.
"The way this unfolded is very sad and very tragic," Calzada added. "It's hardest for the family."
The victim was the oldest of four siblings and a father of two with his high school sweetheart, according to King's family.
"He was the sweetest person," his sister told the TV station.
A GoFundMe for the victim's family remembers him fondly.
"Thomas lived with a mental disability, but despite that, he showed up every single day with love, strength, and dedication for his family," the online fundraiser reads. "He had a kind heart, trusted people, and did his best to provide and be present for his children. Anyone who knew him knows he did not deserve what happened to him."
While law enforcement is keeping mum about the exact circumstances of the killing, King's family believes he was being bullied at work — likely due to a hearing and speech impediment.
His sister told the TV station that her brother largely kept to himself but might have been targeted over his disability.
"I feel like they felt like he was an easy target," she said.
The GoFundMe also levels additional accusations of bullying at the defendant, without mentioning him by name, and claims he "had previously bullied him and took advantage of his kind nature and limited mental capabilities."
Another sibling said the family was at a loss to explain the murder.
"We want to know why they did this to him," the victim's other sister told WFAA. "We want to know the answers."
In a statement provided to the TV station, Taco Casa expressed sadness for "the tragic loss of life involving two individuals who were both employees of our organization" while stressing the incident occurred "off company property and outside of working hours." The company also said it had no prior indication the men were at odds.
"At this time, we are not aware of any prior issues or conflicts between the individuals involved," the statement from the Fort Worth-based company reads. "Taco Casa is committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and supportive work environment for all team members, and situations like this are both shocking and profoundly distressing for our entire organization."
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