Deputies say the son who reported finding his father dead became the suspect in a fast-moving homicide investigation.

CONROE, Texas — A 38-year-old man who called 911 to report finding his elderly father shot inside a Conroe-area home was charged four days later with killing him, after investigators first arrested the son over alleged unauthorized use of the victim’s credit cards.

Justin Blount faces a murder charge in the June 1 death of his father, 81-year-old James “Mr. Jim” Blount, along with a felony charge of credit or debit card abuse involving an elderly person. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said the inquiry changed direction as detectives examined financial activity and collected evidence they believe connected the son to the fatal shooting. Authorities have not publicly described that evidence, identified a motive or explained when they believe James Blount was shot.

The investigation began at about 8 a.m. June 1, when Justin Blount called 911 and said he had found his father dead at a residence in the 19200 block of Trails End Road, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies entered the home and found James Blount with what officials called an apparent gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene. Major Crimes Unit detectives and crime scene investigators were called to the property as deputies secured the area. At that stage, the sheriff’s office publicly treated the death as an active investigation and asked anyone with information to contact authorities. Officials had not named a suspect, announced an arrest in the shooting or disclosed whether a weapon had been recovered. The first public accounts focused on the discovery of James Blount’s body and the effort to determine what happened inside the home.

Investigators soon learned that Justin Blount had allegedly used his father’s credit cards without permission. That finding produced the first arrest connected to the case, but it was initially tied to financial activity rather than the killing. Authorities took Justin Blount into custody on June 1 and accused him of credit or debit card abuse against an elderly person. As the homicide inquiry continued, detectives reviewed additional information and concluded that the alleged financial conduct was not the only offense linking him to his father. The sheriff’s office later said evidence indicated that Justin Blount had used the victim’s financial resources and was also responsible for the murder. Officials have not said what was purchased, how much was charged, when the transactions occurred or how investigators determined they were unauthorized. They also have not said whether transaction records, surveillance video, witness statements or physical evidence played a role in the murder allegation.

By June 5, the sheriff’s office said detectives had gathered enough evidence to present a murder case to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors accepted the charge, and Justin Blount was booked on suspicion of killing his father. Jail records cited in local reports showed a $100,000 bond after the murder charge was added. The financial-abuse accusation remained a separate felony matter. A criminal charge is an allegation, and the state must prove each offense in court. No public account reviewed for this report identified a plea from Justin Blount, a defense attorney speaking on his behalf or a scheduled trial. Authorities also had not released an affidavit giving a full narrative of the alleged shooting. The limited disclosures left several central questions unanswered, including the suspected motive, the precise time of death and the evidence investigators believe places Justin Blount at the scene when the gunfire occurred.

The case moved through several distinct stages in less than a week. Deputies first responded to a report of a dead person. Investigators then opened a shooting-death inquiry and requested information from the public. Detectives next made a financial-abuse arrest involving the person who had placed the 911 call. Finally, they announced a murder charge against that same caller. The sequence showed how a case presented as a reported discovery became an accusation against a close relative of the victim. The sheriff’s office did not say whether Justin Blount described his activities before the call, offered an account of when he last saw his father alive or answered questions about the credit-card transactions. Officials likewise have not released the recording or transcript of the 911 call. The public description is limited to the statement that he reported finding James Blount dead.

Multiple agencies assisted as investigators developed the case. The sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit and crime scene personnel worked with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office. Harris County Sheriff’s Office K-9 teams also assisted, according to authorities. Officials did not describe each agency’s assignment, but such work can include documenting a scene, locating evidence, conducting searches and preparing findings for prosecutors. The sheriff’s office thanked its internal and external partners for what it called thorough and collaborative work. Investigators continued to classify the case as active even after announcing the charge. They asked people with relevant information to refer to case number 26A187258. The request suggested detectives were still building the factual record and had not treated the arrest as the end of their work.

While detectives examined the shooting, friends described James Blount as a familiar and respected member of the area’s horse community. He had worked with Linda Young during the 1990s, when both served as mounted patrol and livestock officers for the Montgomery County Precinct 2 Constable’s Office. Young remembered him as generous, tough and dependable. “This is truly a remarkable man that we lost,” she said. She told local reporters that Blount was the kind of person who would give someone “the shirt off his back.” Karen Stanley, another longtime friend, said he participated in different trail-riding groups and was a lifetime member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. He bred, raised and trained draft horses and belonged to the Rounders trail-riding club. Those accounts turned an initially brief sheriff’s notice into a portrait of a man whose death affected a community far beyond the Trails End Road property.

Young recalled one example from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, when rising water threatened the Richmond property where she and her husband kept horses. She said Blount drove to them, helped load the animals and moved them to safety in the Conroe area. “He didn’t blink an eye; he was there,” Young said. She also described him as a U.S. Air Force veteran and retired officer who made her stronger during their years of work together. Friends said he could train almost any horse and that animals he raised remained part of his legacy. Two of his mares had recently given birth, Young said after his death. The Rounders group wrote that he would be deeply missed. Those memories emerged while investigators were still publicly seeking answers, before they disclosed that the victim’s son had become the accused killer.

The shooting occurred on Trails End Road near Conroe, the Montgomery County seat about 40 miles north of Houston. The address is south of Texas 242 in an area associated with homes, acreage and equestrian activity. Authorities described the shooting as targeted but did not explain the basis for that conclusion. Before the arrest announcement, friends said they believed the person responsible may have known Blount. Investigators later accused his son, but they have not publicly said whether the two men lived together, had recently argued or were involved in a financial dispute. No official statement has identified signs of forced entry, reported missing property beyond the alleged card use or described the condition of the home when deputies arrived.

The next phase will unfold through the criminal court process, where prosecutors may present more detail through charging documents, discovery, hearings or a grand jury proceeding. The defense will be able to challenge the state’s evidence and the lawfulness of any searches, statements or financial records used in the case. Prosecutors must separately establish the elements of murder and elderly credit-card abuse. As of the latest public reports reviewed, authorities had announced the charges and bond but had not released a hearing schedule, autopsy findings or a complete account of the evidence. Justin Blount remained accused, not convicted, and the sheriff’s investigation remained active.

The next major public milestone in the criminal case will come when court records or prosecutors provide a fuller account of the allegations against his son. James Blount’s memorial service was scheduled for June 27 at McNutt Funeral Chapel in Conroe.

Author note: Last updated July 10, 2026.