LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK) — New documents identify two men allegedly involved in the 2016 murder of a prominent Longview businessman, Ron Horaney.
On Memorial Day of 2016, Horaney was found dead in his home from multiple gunshot wounds. Horaney worked with his mother Betty at Horaney’s Feed Store that had locations in Longview and Marshall. The feed store is one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the area founded by Horaney’s grandfather in 1940.
Lee Berger, a Longview resident, remembered Horaney as a hard worker who always put his family first.
“He spent his life up here with the store, with his mom and his family. You know this is a tradition of Longview. A classic tradition, and I hope it continues,” Berger said.
KETK has compiled a timeline depicting the case since Horaney’s murder to the recent arrests made below:
2016
MAY 30, 2016: On Memorial Day, Horaney answered the door of his Tryon Road residence in Longview at around 7 p.m.
According to Allison Thomas, a family member, Horaney and his family were enjoying the holiday until he was gunned down after answering the door.
“His kids were at the house when it happened and saw it happened,” Thomas said. “My cousin Philip, he saw it happen as well and he was the one who called 911.”
According to an arrest warrant, the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) received a call of a reported shooting. The sheriff’s office located Horaney who later died at a local hospital.
You can watch our 2016 coverage of Horaney’s death below:
JUNE 1, 2016: An autopsy report ruled Horaney’s death as homicide and that he died from a gunshot wound to the chest and into the abdomen.
JUNE 2, 2016: The GCSO released a sketch of the suspect involved in Horaney’s death.
JUNE 9, 2016: The GCSO held a press conference where Sheriff Maxey Cerliano announced a $20,000 reward for the arrest and indictment of the person responsible for Horaney’s death.
JUNE 10, 2016: According to an affidavit, at around 8:30 p.m. officials investigating the case received a call from a “cooperating individual” that a “Ray Kamali”had solicited them to murder Horaney two years prior.
The individual also said that “Kamali wanted the victim killed up close and personal because of a family dispute.” Investigators were able to identify Ray as Reza Kamali.
The individual also reportedly said Kamali offered a large amount of money for the murder.
The individual also told investigators that Kamali’s son was a rheumatologist.
JUNE 22, 2016: The GCSO, Longview Police Department and Texas Rangers were surveilling Kamali at a rheumatology center in Longview, observed Kamali leaving the area in a Toyota passenger car and followed him to an In-N-Out in Dallas.
Investigators reportedly saw Kamali meet with a Hispanic male who was driving a Dodge Challenger. Officials said the Hispanic man got in the Toyota with Kamali and shortly exited the vehicle with what appeared to be a plastic shopping bag.
Investigators followed the Hispanic man driving the Dodge to a Dallas apartment. A short time later, police observed the Dodge Challenger leave the apartment and was “stopped on a traffic violation by the Texas Highway Patrol.”
Police identified the driver as Alfredo Lizcano, 38, and the front passenger as Lizcano’s half brother, Rene Paul Garcia Jr.
A search for the vehicle registration indicated that the Challenger belonged to an individual who was unnamed.
2019
The lead investigator said the case had gone cold. A former Texas Ranger was investigated by the inspector general’s office due to accusations of “sleeping” with Horaney’s widow.
The Ranger admitted to the affair during the interview, claiming to have built a friendship with the family after the murder. At the time, he was aiding in the investigation by chasing leads.
A few months later, the Ranger admitted that the relationship with Horaney’s widow had turned intimate.
The Ranger said Horaney’s children found out about the affair and the children confronted her about it. The widow and the Ranger then stopped their relationship as he feared losing his job.
The Ranger was demoted to highway patrol because of the affair and said he did not believe it compromised the investigation.
2020
NOVEMBER 20, 2020: Investigators talked with the owner of the Dodge Challenger, who confirmed that they introduced Lizcano to Kamali in August 2012 and that the Dodge owner had a personal relationship with Lizcano.
The case would not see any significant progress until four years later.
2024
APRIL 18, 2024: Investigators met with Garcia to discuss his knowledge on Horaney’s murder.
Investigators showed Garcia a photo lineup containing a picture of Kamali. Garcia reportedly identified the photo of Kamali and said “Yeah, that Tony right there. That’s the man that hired [Lizcano].”
Garcia explained that Kamali was known to him as Tony. He also explained that Lizcano had lived in Longview at or around the time of the murder.
Garcia allegedly told investigators that around the time of the murder, “Lizcano called Garcia and told [him] that Lizcano was going to do a job and murder someone.”
Garcia claimed that Lizcano sent him to meet with Kamali to pick up a box which he believed to be payment for the murder. He told investigators that Lizcano allegedly called him the day of the murder and said he did it.
Investigators obtained call records from cellular telephone providers which reportedly showed communication between Kamali, Lizcano and Garcia before and after the murder of Horaney.
APRIL 21, 2024: Court documents showed that investigators met with the initial “cooperating individual” that called the sheriff’s office on June 10, 2016 to do a photo lineup, where the individual identified Kamali as the person who solicited the individual to kill the victim.
APRIL 23, 2024: The sheriff’s office arrested Kamali and charged him with murder. His bond was set at $7.5 million during his arraignment on April 24.
APRIL 24, 2024: Alfredo Lizcano was arrested for murder in Dallas County and held on a $10 million bond. He was later transferred to the Gregg County Jail.
APRIL 29, 2024: On Monday’s press conference, the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office said Rene Paul Garcia Jr., will be charged with murder in connection to the case. Officials said Garcia is currently in a federal penitentiary for an unrelated crime.
MAY 2, 2024: On Thursday, an increased police presence was seen at Dr. Kayvan Kamali’s Rheumatology Association of Longview, the son of murder suspect Reza Kamali.
The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office said they were not able to comment on the situation due to a pending judge-issued gag order.
