Dallas, TX

Affidavit: Man was beaten, bound and robbed before dying in Dallas motel room

Published

1 year ago

September 20, 2024

Affidavit: Man was beaten, bound and robbed before dying in Dallas motel room

Four people conspired to rob a man of a few thousand dollars before two of them beat him unconscious and tied him up in a far northeast Dallas motel room where he was later found dead, according to an arrest-warrant affidavit.

Shaun Michael Smith, 48, was found dead by police at about 11:45 a.m. on Aug. 11 in the 11500 block of Plano Road, police said Wednesday. Four people, Byron Louis Nelson, 56; Jared Collin Russell, 27; Deanna Marie Palmer, 23; and Marissa Krystin Mitchell, 36; have been arrested and face murder charges in his death, police said.

According to a Dallas police arrest affidavit, police were called after a housekeeper entered a room at the motel and found Smith dead with his hands and feet tied behind his back. The furniture in the room was in disarray, consistent with signs of a struggle, investigators wrote in the affidavit.

Police learned Smith had rented the motel room at about 4:30 a.m. Aug. 10. Officers reviewed surveillance footage and found Smith had spent the day coming and going from the motel room with a woman, who was identified as Mitchell after police determined the two had arrived at the motel in a car registered to her.

During the evening of Aug. 10, Mitchell and Smith were inside his motel room when a Ford F150 arrived at the motel, the affidavit said. Three people were seen on security footage entering Smith’s motel room, and shortly after they entered, Mitchell and a woman, later identified by police as Palmer, left the room. Mitchell was then seen leaving the motel in her car, and shortly after, two men left Smith’s motel room.

The two men and Palmer then got into the F150 and left the scene.

Police later interviewed Mitchell, who told police she and Smith had spent several days together at her house before going to the motel. Mitchell told police Smith was in possession of a large amount of cash, roughly a few thousand dollars, and said she left the motel room after she and Smith got into an argument.

Mitchell stated the first names of the two men, the affidavit said. The F150 was found to be registered to Russell, and Mitchell also provided a phone number that police connected to Nelson. Mitchell later identified Nelson and Russell as the two men at the motel room when shown pictures by police, the affidavit said.

Police then obtained a robbery warrant for Russell, and he was arrested Aug. 28. Palmer was with him at the time of his arrest, and both were taken to Dallas Police Headquarters. Palmer told police she, Russell and Nelson were informed Smith had a large amount of cash on him, and were called to the motel room by Mitchell with the intent of robbing Smith.

Russell told police after Mitchell and Palmer left the room, he assaulted Smith by punching him in the ribs and putting him in a chokehold, leaving him unconscious. Russell then said he took money from Smith’s pocket and Nelson tied him up with a phone charger, the affidavit said.

The four then met later to divide the money, Palmer and Russell told police.

According to the affidavit, Smith was found to have injuries to his head and broken bones, and the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office told police Smith’s injuries and the restraining of his hands and feet contributed to his death. The medical examiner’s case file said Smith’s time of death was 7:50 a.m., roughly four hours before he was found by police.

All four face a capital murder charge, according to jail records, while Russell also faces a robbery charge. Russell, Mitchell and Palmer were arrested in late August, while Nelson was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service on Tuesday.

As of Thursday, Russell is being held without bail in the Dallas County jail, while Palmer is being held on $250,000 bail and Mitchel is being held on $1 million bail in the Dallas County jail.

Nelson is in the custody of the Gregg County jail in East Texas on $1.14 million bail. It is unclear if any of the four have retained an attorney.

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Dallas, TX

25-year-old man killed in Southeast Dallas shooting

Published

10 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

25-year-old man killed in Southeast Dallas shooting

article

DALLAS – A man was shot and killed in southeast Dallas on Sunday afternoon.

What we know:

The shooting happened around 4 p.m. in the 100 block of S. Murdeaux Lane.

Responding officers found 25-year-old Matthew Moore with a gunshot wound.

He was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

What we don’t know:

Dallas police haven’t released any information on the events leading up to the shooting.

There’s no word on a motive, a suspect, or an arrest.

The Source: The information in this story comes from the Dallas Police Department.

Southeast DallasCrime and Public Safety

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Dallas, TX

Dallas’ 12 most popular food and restaurant stories in 2025

Published

22 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

Dallas’ 12 most popular food and restaurant stories in 2025

The food word for 2025 was beef.

In a glance at the 50 most-read Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant stories in 2025, we obsessed over burgers, we cried at the loss of longtime steakhouses, we binged on barbecue and we beefed about Michelin’s lack of attention.

The French company’s restaurant reviews in Texas dominated our food-news coverage last year — Michelin’s first year in the Lone Star State. Now in 2025, we were ready to see how well these out-of-towners got to know North Texas food.

What a mis-steak.

One big story from Michelin in 2025 was that French-Italian restaurant Mamani earned 1 Michelin star after being open for less than 2 months.

Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer

Fort Worth restaurants were ignored almost completely. Michelin didn’t seem to appreciate our Mexican or Tex-Mex food. The list of seven “value-driven” restaurants honored with a Bib Gourmand didn’t change at all from 2024.

Just two new D-FW restaurants were added to the Michelin Guide Texas, one of which was a brand-new French-Italian restaurant that earned a surprise star.

As we look back at Dallas’ most high-profile food-news stories, there’s plenty to grumble about. But we also had the opportunity to tell the stories of the people behind the food.

Greg Artkop is driving across Texas to eat barbecue. Here, he's at Smokey Joe's BBQ in Dallas. — Greg Artkop is driving across Texas to eat barbecue. Here, he’s at Smokey Joe’s BBQ in Dallas.
Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer

There’s Greg Artkop, the barbecue fanatic traveling tens of thousands of miles this year to eat smoked meat. You met Drew Stephenson, who earned the nickname the Michelin Man for his obsessive visits to Texas’ 1-star Michelin restaurants. We told you about Petey Feng, the line cook detained by ICE who is getting support from high-profile Dallas chefs. We went behind the scenes with Mariano Martinez and his history-changing margarita.

Also in 2025, Dallas diners seem hungrier than ever for world-class food. Chefs are up for the challenge. But can we cool it with the prices? We’ll keep talking about that in 2026.

We look now at a dozen of 2025’s most popular food stories on dallasnews.com — the ones you clicked on most.

No, not the beef!

Morton's was once one of Dallas' priciest steakhouses. — Morton’s was once one of Dallas’ priciest steakhouses.
RALPH SMITH STUDIO

I couldn’t have guessed that the Dallas Morning News‘ top-read food story of 2025 would be about a 40-year-old steakhouse. Morton’s was “one of the best” steakhouses in Dallas in its heyday, The News said. It was a fancy place for a sophisticated meal, before Uptown Dallas was studded with beefy restaurants on every block. When Morton’s closed in late 2024, nostalgic Dallasites shared stories by the dozens.

“I fashioned a lot of what I do at Bob’s after the original Morton’s,” said Bob Sambol, of Bob’s Steak and Chop House in Dallas. Plenty of others in Dallas did, too.

‘Deadly’ fettuccine

Many of us went hunting through our fridges in September 2025 after the USDA warned of the dangers of heat-and-eat pastas sold at Walmart and Trader Joe’s. In this widely read Associated Press story, people were informed of exactly what to look for on the label to avoid the threat of listeria. Cajun chicken fettuccine Alfredo and linguine with meatballs and marinara had never seemed so scary.

End of an era

The Meddlesome Moth was open in the Dallas Design District for 15 years.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer

When the Meddlesome Moth’s owner Shannon Wynne announced to The News in early 2025 that he “couldn’t afford to stay” in the Dallas Design District, his comments set off a wave of concern from restaurateurs and diners that continues today.

On one hand, it’s exciting to see neighborhoods like the Dallas Design District become beacons for nationally known restaurants like Carbone and Delilah. On the other, rent prices in this neighborhood and others are going up by the year, and local operators are concerned they’ll be priced out entirely.

The Meddlesome Moth was a pioneer in the Design District, serving gastropub fare for 15 years. It closed in May 2025. Its iconic stained glass windows are still looking for a new home.

Fieri still on fire

Food Network celebrity Guy Fieri cooked with Dallas chef Taylor Rause for an episode of... — Food Network celebrity Guy Fieri cooked with Dallas chef Taylor Rause for an episode of ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.’ Here, they make sauerkraut dark chocolate cake.
Food Network / Citizen Pictures

The latest season of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured an impressive seven Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants, and News readers wanted all the details. We were pleased to see Food Network icon Guy Fieri visit some true local gems, like Chinese restaurant Hello Dumpling in East Dallas, barbecue joint Slow Bone in the Design District and vegan taco shop El Palote Panaderia in Pleasant Grove.

Yes, the beef!

White Castle sliders are small. Better order a few.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer

For the first time in 105 years, fast-food burger joint White Castle will enter the Lone Star State. We broke the news that White Castle’s first stop in Texas would be in The Colony, just down the street from home decor megastore Nebraska Furniture Mart. We’ll have more on this brand expansion into Texas in 2026. For now, we’ll leave you dreaming of griddled onions, a hallmark of White Castle’s sliders.

Salad and Gone

Salad and Go's salads cost $8 to $10, making them among the affordable healthy-eating... — Salad and Go’s salads cost $8 to $10, making them among the affordable healthy-eating options in D-FW.
Jason Janik / Special Contributor
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When Salad and Go announced it was closing dozens of locations across Texas and Oklahoma, our Claire Ballor followed up with a list of which drive-throughs would close permanently. Your reactions were delightful surprises to all of us on the food team: Y’all love a drive-through salad! Part of the allure of Salad and Go is its low prices, to be sure. (We’re regular customers, too.)

Here’s some news you can use: Even though 18 Salad and Gos closed in D-FW, two-dozen stayed open.

Shutting the screen door

Remember The Big Board? Customers at The Porch could find daily specials here.
Stewart F. House / Special Contributor

The Porch closed on Henderson Avenue in Dallas this year, a sudden move for the comfort-food restaurant. The company said the restaurant experienced a “perfect storm of losses” this year, despite efforts to drum up new customers with $5 cocktails. When The Porch closed, it was one of the last standing restaurants from an era when Henderson Avenue was at the center of the Dallas dining scene.

A moment for halal barbecue

CJ and Sabrina Henley, pictured here at Yearby's Barbecue and Waterice in Pilot Point, moved... — CJ and Sabrina Henley, pictured here at Yearby’s Barbecue and Waterice in Pilot Point, moved the restaurant to Plano.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
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Your top barbecue story from 2025 comes from Ballor, about Yearby’s relocation from Pilot Point to Plano. Its halal barbecue is some of the best in the state, and it earned a spot on Texas Monthly’s 50 Best list. The menu includes brisket, chicken and meatloaf — just no pork.

Consider stopping in to the new Plano restaurant over the holidays. Hours are Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

So long to Hong Kong

Hong Kong Restaurant was open on Garland Road in Dallas since 1962.
Pon Family

Dallas’ longest continuously operating Chinese restaurant, Hong Kong, closed in mid-May 2025 after more than 60 years. For some Dallas-born neighbors, Hong Kong was their first foray into egg foo yung and yu dow gai ding. In fact, local middle schoolers took field trips there after learning about China in social studies class.

With Hong Kong Restaurant’s closure, a significant piece of Chinese-American food history is gone in Dallas.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner

It's family-style food at Babe's. — It’s family-style food at Babe’s.
David Woo / Staff Photographer

Babe’s Chicken Dinner House serves some of the best Southern food in the United States, Southern Living said. I think we can all see why that’s worth reading about! The writer said the food “brought a guest to tears — of joy.”

Remembering Chris Carpenter

Chris Carpenter was a partner at Hendy's on Henderson in Dallas. He died Aug. 10, 2025. — Chris Carpenter was a partner at Hendy’s on Henderson in Dallas. He died Aug. 10, 2025.
Courtesy

Dallas bar partner Chris Carpenter died at age 41 — a surprise to friends and family. He opened Hendy’s on Henderson about a month prior, and customers saw him there nightly, leading the team. He had become a significant operator in the Dallas nightlife and bar scene.

“He lived fully, loved deeply and led with a rare combination of passion and generosity,” said Cote Bona, one of his best friends and a business partner in Hendy’s.

Bulldozing Sambuca

The former Sambuca was bulldozed in Uptown Dallas in October 2025, leaving a pile of rubble... — The former Sambuca was bulldozed in Uptown Dallas in October 2025, leaving a pile of rubble in the shadow of Hotel Crescent Court. Today, the debris is cleared.
Chase Hanna

It’s been years since we’ve been to dinner-and-a-show restaurant Sambuca, as it closed on Dallas’ McKinney Avenue in 2018. The building stood empty at a busy Uptown Dallas intersection since then. In October 2025, excavators bulldozed Sambuca. Crews cleared the debris and laid grass in its place — so pretty and neat that it’s almost like Sambuca was never there. It isn’t clear yet what will happen to this prime piece of Dallas real estate.

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Dallas, TX

Updated 2026 NFL draft order following Cowboys’ brutal loss to Chargers

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Updated 2026 NFL draft order following Cowboys’ brutal loss to Chargers

The Dallas Cowboys’ late-season struggles continue, extending the team’s losing streak to three games after watching their NFL playoff hopes vanish earlier in the weekend.

On Sunday afternoon, the team once again struggled to get anything going and fell to the Los Angeles Chargers, 34-17, in the team’s home finale.

While the loss was disappointing, the silver lining for Cowboys Nation is that the team’s draft position continues to improve, with the team now sitting in the mid-teens with the No. 13 overall pick.

MORE: 3 frustrating takeaways from Cowboys’ loss to Chargers in Week 16

Dallas also got some help on Saturday night, with the Green Bay Packers falling to the Chicago Bears in overtime, moving the Cowboys’ second first-round pick to No. 21 overall.

The Dallas Cowboys logo is projected on the video board during the NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Let’s hope that the team can make good use of the picks in the spring and double-dip on the defensive side of the ball to improve the roster on the defensive side of the ball. The Cowboys will finish off the 2025-26 campaign with divisional games against the Washington Commanders and New York Giants.

If the draft were to be held today, the Giants would hold the No. 1 overall pick.

A full look at the current 2026 NFL Draft order as the Cowboys observe their bye week, via Tankathon

MORE: 3 winners & 2 losers from Cowboys Week 16 loss to Chargers