The suspect was already serving a 25-year prison sentence for the murder of a 17-year-old Bowie High School student.
ARLINGTON, Texas — A Tarrant County grand jury has indicted a 23-year-old suspect in connection with the murder of a 21-year-old man in 2019.
The suspect, Keyon Flynn, is accused of fatally shooting Nicholas Coffman on Aug. 3, 2019. Police say new information received late last year helped them pinpoint Flynn as the suspect.
Flynn was serving a 25-year prison sentence for an unrelated murder charge after being convicted of killing 17-year-old Anthony Strather, who was a Bowie High School football player in Arlington. Strather was shot and killed more than two months after Coffman, on Oct. 17, 2019.
Police say they determined Coffman and a friend had pulled into Deaver Park, 5800 Kelly Elliott Road, at about 9:16 p.m. the night of the murder, and were trying to sell a handgun. They had arranged to meet at the park with a potential buyer, police said, and another vehicle with multiple people inside was waiting for them in the parking lot when they arrived.
Coffman had a brief conversation with one of the passengers in the suspect vehicle, police said, then was told to go around to the other side, where Flynn reportedly shot Coffman in the abdomen.
Coffman’s friend immediately drove him to a nearby hospital, police said, where he was pronounced dead.
Police say they had identified numerous people in contact with Coffman that night, including Flynn, but needed more evidence to charge a suspect in the case. A witness was re-interviewed in September last year and gave new information that placed Flynn at the scene in the suspect vehicle, according to police.
Afterward, Flynn was positively identified by the witness during a photo lineup, and police moved forward with charges, officials said.
“This is an outstanding example of the dedication and perseverance of our employees,” Arlington Police Chief Al Jones said. “I’m proud of the detectives who worked on this case throughout the years and never gave up on solving it. The Arlington Police Department is committed to clearing homicide cases and delivering justice to the families of victims.”
Police say they haven’t ruled out the possibility that others could be charged in the murder as well.