On December 3, 2023, deputies responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive man in a driveway in the 2800 block of Duff Road, southeast of Livingston, Texas, and found 29-year-old Timothy Jacob Neal deceased. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office declared the scene a homicide and opened an investigation assisted by the Texas Rangers and the Polk County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.

Two men from Livingston have been charged in connection with Neal’s death. Twenty-four-year-old Toby Wayne Ford was arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail shortly after the incident. A second arrest warrant was issued for 24-year-old Shawn Anthony Thor on December 28, 2023; Thor was later apprehended and booked with bond set at $250,000. Authorities say the investigation remains active and have not released further details, while also advising there is no ongoing threat.

Neal’s obituary, published December 22, 2023, describes him as a loving son, grandson, and brother who enjoyed fishing and music and worked as a chef at the Whistle Stop Café in Livingston. If anyone has information that could help the investigation, please contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.