Joyce Gomez, 38, was found dead in a wooded area off West Wittman Road on April 27, 2025, two days after she was last seen working a bartending shift at the Whiskey Bar in Pass Christian. Her father reported her missing on April 26 when she failed to return to the home they shared with her two children.

An autopsy determined Gomez died of a single gunshot wound. Investigators said her body had been doused in bleach or a similar substance and that there were initial signs of blunt force trauma. The investigation focused on her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brett Huntley Keel, 37, who had previous domestic violence convictions and against whom Gomez had obtained a protection order.

Authorities arrested Keel on first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence charges after officers reported finding what appeared to be blood in his pickup and on clothing, plus blood inside and outside the home he shared with his mother. Keel told police he had been with Gomez after her shift and said he dropped her at a Pass Christian beach and she walked home. Keel was held in the Harrison County jail on a $1.5 million bond, and in May 2025 he waived a preliminary hearing and the case was sent to a grand jury.

Did anyone in the area know Joyce, her routine, or see her the night of April 25?