Audio By Carbonatix
The case of the headless body discovered underneath a bridge near the Brazos River has been solved. But the killer’s motive for decapitating 24-year-old Jubal Alexander, an East Texas native who’d been living out of his truck, remains unclear.
On May 3 a fisherman discovered Alexander’s headless body sitting in his pickup, and his father claimed the murder to be the work of the Islamic State. “He was murdered in a terroristic way, in a way that is indicative to ISIS,” he wrote in May 13 Facebook post. “They cut his head off and took it. I believe it was Islamic Extremists.”
Others speculated that the Los Zetas, a Mexican cartel whose members are also known to decapitate their victims, had committed the crime. But not surprisingly, neither speculation appears to be correct.
Police say that Zachary Foyt, a 24-year-old who lived 17 miles away from where the killing occurred, committed the crime, according to the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office. “(On) 05-24-2016, a witness came forward and notified the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office that Foyt had killed Alexander,” they said in a release. “Motive for the killing is still being determined. Information from this witness was verified by comparing tip information to information that has not been made public.”
Investigators claim Foyt fled Brazoria County after decapitating Alexander and headed to Lakewood, Colorado, where the Brazoria County investigative team would later arrive. They also questioned Foyt and other local witnesses, and then used the information to make the arrest.
When news happens, Dallas Observer is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If the Dallas Observer matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
It seems Foyt launched a random attack. “Currently, there is no information that has led investigators to believe Jubal Alexander knew his killer,” according to the Sheriff’s Department. “The decapitation of the body is thought to be an attempt at concealing or destroying evidence.”
The Observer reached out to Alexander’s father shortly after the Brazoria County investigative team’s revelation, but the team hadn’t revealed too much information to family members because they don’t want to jeopardize the case.
“The lead detective told me there was no doubt that he killed my son,” says Alexander’s father, who is also named Jubal. “But I felt like he was saying he took my son’s head to hide evidence. If that is the case, I may never recover my child’s head. But at least his killer will not walk free.”
Foyt is currently awaiting extradition in the Jefferson County Jail in Colorado. His bail has been set at $5 million.
