CLEBURNE, Texas – An investigation continues into a Sunday, April 16 shooting near a small north-central Texas community, with one arrest made after the victim died five days later.
Police arrested Spencer Gilbert, 19, of Godley, later that same day in Houston in connection with a shooting at an after-prom party. A murder warrant against Gilbert was expected to be issued by the end of this week, Johnson County Sheriff Adam King said.
Gilbert was still in Houston as of Thursday morning, April 20, King said, but will soon be transported back to Johnson County.
“Houston has him on a no bond on a revocation of probation and evading with a vehicle and additional Houston police charges, and we have a hold on his name for Johnson County,” he said.
Additional Johnson County charges against Gilbert may be forthcoming.
Officers from Godley, Joshua and JCSO responded to reports of fighting or a shooting at 1:25 a.m. Sunday to the 600 block of County Road 913. Upon arrival, they found a 20-year-old Venus man, later identified as Ja’Den Moblin, lying in the backyard of the residence. Moblin had been shot several times, King said.
Officers rendered aid until paramedics arrived, at which time they transported Moblin to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.
King said the Moblin remained survived for several days after the shooting but was in critical condition. Moblin, who appears to have been an organ donor, died at 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, April 19, at which time police upgraded Gilbert’s charges to murder.
The shooter fled the scene with a 17-year-old male. It remains to be determined, King said, whether the other person was an accomplice or a victim of kidnapping.
JCSO detectives tracked the 17-year-old’s phone to Houston and alerted the Houston Police Department.
Houston officers located a vehicle matching the description a short time later. The driver led police on a short chase of about a mile and a half, after which Gilbert exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Police apprehended and arrested him shortly afterward. Police also confiscated a gun believed to have been used in the shooting. Gilbert admitted to the shooting while being interviewed by a Texas ranger, police said.
“We’re still looking into a lot of things,” King said. “This is a big investigation stretching from here to Houston but we’re working on getting things figured out.”