Royce Loggins, 31, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to the 2023 murder of Shawn Joseph, a local DoorDash driver who went missing in October 2023.

The case began when officers responded to a suspicious vehicle parked in a remote section of the Walmart parking lot on East Palm Valley Boulevard. Blood and personal items were found near the car, which was registered to Joseph’s mother. She told police her 30-year-old son had been using the vehicle the night before to make food deliveries and had not returned home.

Using a combination of digital evidence, surveillance footage, and license plate recognition technology, detectives identified Loggins, an associate of the victim, as a person of interest. He was later located and arrested at a hotel in Haltom City with two firearms and cleaning supplies in his possession. One of the firearms was later confirmed to be the murder weapon.

Further analysis of electronic data led investigators to a rural area in Milam County. During a coordinated multi-agency search, Joseph’s body was located, and an autopsy confirmed he died from a single gunshot wound to the head.

“We know nothing can fully heal the pain Shawn’s family carries, but we hope this resolution offers them some comfort and closure,” said Police Chief Allen Banks.

We are grateful to the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office for securing this conviction, as well as to all our law enforcement partners who helped bring this case to a close.