LONGVIEW, Texas — A third man has been arrested in connection with the 2016 murder of Longview businessman Ron Horaney.
Rene Paul Garcia Jr., 26, who is currently in federal prison, is now among three men charged in connection with Horaney's death, Gregg County Sheriff Maxey Cerliano said during a news conference Monday. All three are charged with murder.
He is the half-brother of Alfredo Lizcano, 38, of Longview, the man who officials say was hired to murder Horaney, arrest documents say. Reza Kamali, 87, was arrested April 23 for allegedly hiring Lizcano to kill Horaney because of a family dispute, according to arrest documents.
Horaney, who was 54 when he was killed, was also the cousin of Longview Mayor Andy Mack. He was gunned down in the doorway of his home on Tryon Road., on Monday, May 30, 2016.
Cerliano called these recent arrests another chapter in the journey that law enforcement has been on with the Horaney family. He thanked the investigators who have been a part of looking into the case. It took thousands of manhours from the Texas Rangers, Gregg County Sheriff's Office and others.
"If it were not for the people behind me, we would not be here today," Cerliano said.
Garcia was announced as the third suspect in the case. He is in federal custody for a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance in the Northern District of Texas.
Court documents show the substance was five kilograms or more of a substance containing a detectible amount of cocaine. Garcia has pleaded guilty to that charge and is set to be sentenced in federal court on May 7.
Cerliano said he is unsure of when Garcia will be transferred to the Gregg County Jail. The sheriff thanked Longview Police Department and the Richardson Police Department among others for their assistance in the investigation.
Gregg County District Attorney John Moore said it took all 10 law enforcement agencies working together over eight years to reach this point.
"Now, we get to step in and see what we can do with this," Moore said. "I can promise you it's not going to take eight years to get a resolution to this case. We know the Horaneys have suffered through this, and that's where we're at. That's why we've asked for such high bonds. We want to make sure these people stay here so we can bring them to trial in a timely fashion."
Kamali is being held in the Gregg County Jail on $7.5 million bond. Lizcano was booked into the Dallas County Jail earlier this week on $10 million bond. On Friday, he was booked into the Gregg County Jail.
Moore said he expects a gag order will be issued in the case, limiting what information will be released until the case goes to trial.
Ron Horaney's son Jonathan Horaney, who spoke on behalf of his siblings and mother, thanked people who have prayed over the family.
"It's by the Lord's grace, strength and everlasting peace that we're here today standing in front of you guys," Jonathan Horaney said. "We would also like to thank our friends who have checked on us and loved us with compassion and so much kindness during this time as well. To members of law enforcement, including the gentlemen behind me, I want to thank you so much for working on my father's case."
He also took time to honor his beloved father and his mother, who was "their rock" for the past eight years.
"He has proven to be an honorable man - a courageous man. And I want to thank our mother for her grace and her strength through this time. These eight years have been tough and you've been nothing but wonderful," Jonathan Horaney said.
He asked that people respect the family's privacy as law enforcement continues the investigation.
Cerliano said he never considered Horaney's murder a cold case as an investigator was always assigned. He also said it took so much time before arrests were made because probable cause needed to be established.
ARREST DOCUMENTS
The warrant states an anonymous informant told investigators in June 2016, Kamali told them he wanted Horaney "killed up close and personal because of a family dispute." Kamali offered to pay a large sum of money for this person to murder Horaney. Later that same month, investigators saw Kamali meet with a man, who was later identified as Lizcano, at a Dallas fast food restaurant while performing surveillance on Kamali.
Investigators followed Lizcano's vehicle and he was stopped for a traffic violation. During that stop, Lizcano was identified as the person who met with Kamali. The front passenger was eventually identified as Lizcano's half-brother Garcia, the affidavit said.
On April 18, 2024, Garcia met with investigators to discuss what he knew about Lizcano's role in Horaney's murder. When shown a photo lineup that included a photo of Kamali, Garcia said, "that's the man that hired my brother," according to the document.
Lizcano lived in Longview around the time of Horaney's death. Lizcano told Garcia that he was going to do a job and murder someone. Lizcano sent Garica to pick up a box that the Garcia believed to be a payment for the murder, according to an interview detailed in the affidavit.
On the day of the murder, Lizcano admitted to Garcia that he killed Horaney. Garcia said he did a Google search of the murder when it happened, and a forensic examination of his phone showed that to be true, the affidavit explained.
Garcia said Lizcano had a revolver-type firearm before the murder, the document read.