Kelly Meazell, 35, was found dead in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 5707 Manor Road in East Austin on January 9, 2025. Officers responding to a welfare check at about 1:44 a.m. discovered her lying in a pool of blood; life-saving efforts continued but she was pronounced dead at 2:11 a.m. Authorities noted trauma around her neck, and the Austin Police Department’s Homicide Unit classified the case as the city’s second homicide of 2025.

Meazell had been experiencing homelessness and was known to frequent the area where she was found. Her half-sister, Katherine Stephens, said Meazell had recently mentioned finding a place to stay and described her as caring and joyful. Detectives reported difficulty getting witnesses to come forward and encouraged tips, including anonymous reports through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program.

On January 16, 2025, the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force arrested 32-year-old Frank Henry Bonner Jr. at a bus stop near Manor Road and Rogge Lane; he was booked into the Travis County Jail on a murder charge and held on $1 million bond. The motive has not been disclosed and the investigation is ongoing. If anyone knew Kelly or has information about her killing, please contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS or submit an anonymous tip to Capital Area Crime Stoppers.