A grim discovery in rural Bowie County has prompted a double homicide investigation after two people were found dead on a private property near DeKalb.
According to the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and the Simms Volunteer Fire Department responded to a report of a suspicious death around 9 a.m. Thursday in the 700 block of Private Road 42041. Family members had reportedly been trying to reach 63-year-old Donna Culpepper without success, leading a concerned relative to check a residence where she was known to occasionally stay.
That home belonged to Charles Beckham. When the relative arrived, they found Culpepper dead in the driveway and called 911.
Deputies arrived and soon discovered more alarming details — Beckham’s truck had been found burned behind the residence. Investigators were called to the scene and later located Beckham’s body. Authorities confirmed that evidence indicates both deaths were the result of homicides.
In addition, Culpepper’s vehicle — a gray 2025 Nissan Sentra with Illinois license plate FP281446 — was missing from the scene. The car, a rental from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, has been entered into law enforcement databases as a stolen vehicle.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about the murders or the whereabouts of the missing vehicle to contact Investigator Michelle Alexander at 903-628-6819.
The investigation is ongoing.
