Police said the case began when Thomas King did not return home after his April 13 shift.

FORT WORTH, Texas — A Taco Casa employee has been charged in the death of a co-worker who vanished after a shift, after police said the suspect confessed to shooting him and leaving in his car.

Gregory D. Lewis, 34, is accused of capital murder in the death of Thomas King, 31, a father of two whose family said he lived with an intellectual disability and a speech impediment. The case moved from a missing-person report to a homicide investigation after detectives traced King’s car to a motel in Arlington and later found his body in an open field on Fort Worth’s east side.

King was last seen April 13 at the Taco Casa on Bridgewood Drive in Fort Worth, where he had worked a shift and was wearing his uniform. His family reported him missing April 14 after he failed to return home. Relatives said that was out of character for a man who usually went from work back to his family. Jolisa Richardson, King’s partner and high school sweetheart, said he told her he loved her and said he was coming back. “Doesn’t make any sense, because every time he goes to work, he comes right back,” Richardson said.

Investigators soon found King’s vehicle at a Quality Inn along Interstate 20 in Arlington. Surveillance footage showed a person arriving at the motel in King’s car shortly after King left work, police said. Detectives later identified the person as Lewis, who had worked with King at the restaurant. Homicide detectives took over the investigation April 16 and arrested Lewis on unrelated charges while they continued to examine the car, the motel footage and the path King was believed to have taken after work.

Police said Lewis admitted during questioning that he killed King and took his vehicle. Fort Worth police Officer Buddy Calzada said investigators were able to interview the suspect and that Lewis “did claim and confess to actually murdering our missing person and leaving his vehicle.” Authorities said King’s body was found April 17 in an open field on the east side of Fort Worth. Police have said the shooting happened after the men left work, but they have not released a full account of what led to the killing or whether a specific dispute began inside the restaurant.

The charge against Lewis includes capital murder. Jail records also listed charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and a parole violation. Police said the investigation remains open as detectives continue to review evidence and prepare the case for prosecutors. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office was expected to determine King’s official cause and manner of death. Authorities have described the case as a killing tied to a stolen vehicle, but they have not announced a final motive.

King’s family said the public case file only explains part of what they believe happened. Relatives said King was bullied at work and may have been targeted because of his disability and speech impediment. His sister said King mostly kept to himself and focused on work and family. She said she believed some people saw him as vulnerable. “I feel like they felt like he was an easy target,” she said. Another sister said the family wants answers about why anyone would hurt him.

The family described King as the oldest of four siblings and a devoted father who tried to provide for his children. A fundraiser organized for the family said he lived with a mental disability but showed up every day with love, strength and dedication. The fundraiser said King had a kind heart, trusted people and did his best to be present for his family. Relatives said his two sons were struggling to understand the loss, and Richardson said she had told them their father was in heaven.

Taco Casa said in a statement that the death involved two people who were employees of the organization, but that the incident happened off company property and outside working hours. The company said it was not aware of prior issues or conflicts between the two men. Taco Casa said it was committed to a safe, respectful and supportive workplace and called the situation shocking and distressing for the organization.

The case left two tracks for investigators: the criminal charge against Lewis and the questions King’s family continues to ask about what happened before the shooting. Police have said they believe some kind of confrontation occurred between the two men, but they have not publicly described the confrontation in detail. Calzada called the case sad and tragic and said the hardest part was what King’s relatives were facing after first reporting him missing and then learning he had been killed.

As of the latest public reports, Lewis remained in custody in Tarrant County as the capital murder case moved forward. Detectives were still working to complete the investigation, and King’s family continued to press for answers about the hours after his April 13 shift.

Author note: Last updated May 17, 2026.