Jasper Police Chief Gerald Hall confirmed Tuesday that officers now believe that a man who was found dead following a house fire in East Jasper earlier this month was apparently shot and killed before the fire broke out.
According to Hall, an autopsy that was performed on the body of Rexie McMullen II, revealed that he had been shot numerous times, resulting in his death.
Police, firemen and other emergency crews were dispatched to the single story, wood frame structure located in the 1300 block of Milam Street, just a few hundred feet from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department shortly before 1:00 in the early hours of Wednesday, February 9th when it was reported that the home was on fire and arrived to find it completely engulfed in flames.
Shortly after the fire was out firemen found the body of McMullen, 57, who was said to be a resident of Lufkin in the rear of the structure.
McMullen was pronounced dead at the scene by Jasper County Precinct 2 Jasper County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Raymond Hopson, who ordered that an autopsy be performed.
Who shot McMullen and why they did remains to be the big question. However, Hall said that officers within his department had obtained several leads that they were in the process of trying to find two people which he termed “persons of interest.”
Jasper Fire Marshal Brandon Duckworth said he believed the fire began on the front porch of the home and quickly moved through the structure, which was located near the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks.
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