Ronald Wayne Irvin Death – Troopers from the Texas DPS, in collaboration with Irion County Sheriff’s Deputies, are currently gathering information from various sources and will provide us with an update later tonight.
The DPS has stated that this pertains to the murder suspect who managed to evade law enforcement in the brushlands of Irion County for more than 24 hours. However, he was eventually discovered this afternoon within the city limits of Mertzon, where he was shot and killed by law enforcement.
A news conference is tentatively scheduled by the DPS for tomorrow morning, and we will be covering it live.
The Texas DPS and the Irion County Sheriff’s Office had been actively searching for a fugitive from Odessa. According to reports, the individual shot and killed a homeowner in the homeowner’s driveway in southwest Ector County, stole the homeowner’s car, and fled the scene.
The pursuit led them to Irion County and involved a second car hijacking. Since yesterday afternoon, the fugitive had abandoned a black 2014 Mustang and later a stolen gold-colored Chevrolet Tahoe, opting to flee on foot and successfully eluding law enforcement until now.
DPS airborne assets were observed remaining active in the area well after nightfall, with the plane and accompanying DPS helicopters returning today. However, the airborne assets have since left the area and landed at Mathis Field. An unconfirmed report from a witness in Mertzon suggests that the fugitive managed to find a bicycle.
Deputies discovered him, and a physical altercation ensued, according to the information we received. While it has been confirmed that the fugitive was shot and killed, there are conflicting details regarding the circumstances.
The homeowner in Ector County, who was tragically murdered in front of his own house, has been identified as Ronald Wayne Irvin, aged 74. Although Ector County Sheriff’s Deputies had an idea of the fugitive’s name, they were not confident enough to release it. As of now, no one has disclosed the name of the fugitive at the Mertzon crime scene.
We can expect one more update tonight, followed by a press conference in Mertzon tomorrow morning, where the latest information regarding this tragic incident that unfolded near the Irion County ISD stadium will be provided.
