June 25, 2024 - Charges have been filed against a suspect arrested in the fatal shooting of a man and a woman at 699 Franklin Street about 6:35 p.m. on June 2.

The suspect, Bruce Butler, 37, is charged with capital murder in the 337th State District Court. A booking photo of Butler is attached to this news release.

He is accused in the death of Richard Nugent, 38, and RJ Lewis, 66.

HPD Homicide Division Detectives M. Althaus and E. Camacho reported:

HPD patrol officers responded to a report of a deceased person at the above address and found an unresponsive man with a gunshot wound(s) lying on the sidewalk near Buffalo Bayou Trail. Houston Fire Department paramedics pronounced the man, later identified as Mr. Nugent, deceased.

As officers searched the area for possible witnesses, they found an unresponsive woman with a gunshot wound(s) lying on a stairwell leading up to the intersection of Congress and Smith Streets from the trail. HFD paramedics pronounced the woman, later identified as Ms. Lewis, deceased.

At the time, there was no known motive or suspect description.

On June 20, investigators released surveillance photos of a person of interest. A tip led to the identification of Butler as the male in the photo.

On Monday (June 24), Butler was arrested and admitted to his role in the shooting. He was subsequently charged and booked into the Harris County Joint Processing Center.