Officials: Texan Posed as Minor to Lure Sex Offender Before Fatally Shooting Him

A man is accused of killing a convicted sex offender in Houston, Texas, after he allegedly posed as a minor to lure the victim.

Court documents say officials have charged 22-year-old James Lewis Spencer with murder after the incident that occurred on May 29, 2023, KHOU reported Friday.

In an update Thursday, the Houston Police Department identified the victim as 37-year-old Sean Connery Showers.

An image shows the suspect in the case:

After Spencer’s arrest on Wednesday, a Harris County judge set his bond at $250,000. The KHOU report continued:

According to court records, Spencer told a witness he knew how to track sex offenders via an app on his phone and that he wanted to rob and hurt them. He later reportedly told that witness that if the police weren’t going to do anything, he’d take matters into his own hands.

During Thursday’s probable cause court hearing, the judge said that cellphone records showed that Spencer and the victim had been in contact. Court records indicate Spencer posed as a minor and discussed the victim’s sexual history with minors before agreeing to meet up with him.

According to police, someone reported an unresponsive man lying in a ditch at 900 Northwood Street. The man, who was later identified as Showers, was pronounced dead after suffering several gunshot wounds.

“An initial investigation determined Showers was walking along the roadway when a vehicle of unknown make and model approached him. Someone inside the vehicle then shot Showers. At that time, there was no known suspect description,” the agency said. “Further investigation identified Spencer as the suspect in this case.”

Bond conditions for the suspect include 24-hour house arrest, a GPS monitor, and he is forbidden to access firearms, ammunition, or weapons, the KHOU article noted.

In March, a Minnesota man was accused of fatally beating an elderly sex offender to death with a shovel and moose antler, according to Breitbart News.