On July 25, 2023, at about 11:12 p.m., 39-year-old Randy Thacker was fatally shot in the 1900 block of Flour Bluff Drive in Corpus Christi, Texas. Thacker was taken to a local hospital and died shortly after the shooting. Police say the suspect, 55-year-old Eric Smith, told officers he shot Thacker after Thacker allegedly approached him with an object in his hand. Smith was arrested and charged with murder.

Thacker was originally from Chapmanville, West Virginia, and had moved to Corpus Christi about four years earlier. He worked as a carpenter, doing home repairs and home building, and is remembered by family as loving and kind, especially toward his children. His mother, Elizabeth Hicks, traveled from West Virginia to attend court proceedings. Smith’s defense was granted a continuance and his bond was reduced with conditions including house arrest, a curfew, and regular check-ins if he posts bail. The case remains ongoing.

If anyone witnessed the July 25 incident or has information about Thacker’s final hours, please come forward.