Joseph Jay Neal Jr., a 36-year-old man from Austin, Texas, was found dead inside his vehicle in the parking garage of his apartment complex on Cheddar Loop in Travis County on December 8, 2021. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and his death was later determined to be a homicide.

Investigators say the shooting occurred in Taylor, Texas, after an argument with his boyfriend, John Paul Rangel Jr., who was identified as the suspect. Rangel, 23, was arrested and charged with murder; according to the arrest affidavit he admitted to shooting Neal, saying Neal knew something that could put him away for a long time. Rangel was held in the Williamson County Jail with bail set at $500,000.

Multiple agencies were involved in the investigation, including the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Taylor Police Department, Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, and the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office. Neal’s family and friends remembered him as a beloved individual.