Houston man driven to Louisiana to be killed

HOUSTON, Texas -- A Houston man suffered a horrific death in a rural part of Louisiana. Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso said it's clear whoever killed Dustin Hammons did not want anyone to find him.

Mancuso told Eyewitness News his detectives are now on the ground in the Bayou City searching for the 22-year-old's killers.

He said they've developed a motive and possible suspects. He would not release any more details or cause of death. Mancuso said Hammons' body was discovered Wednesday near Starks, Louisiana. His body had been there between 12 to 18 hours.

Mancuso's agency is now working with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

"It can be described as a brutal murder. We do believe that all the parties involved are from the Houston, Pasadena, and Baytown area," said Sheriff Mancuso. "This body could have been there for days, months, years before we found it, had it not been for this crew that comes out and mows twice a year. This so happened to be the day that they came out and mowed. I think valuable evidence is at our crime lab getting processed right now may have been lost had we not had that opportunity."

Anyone with information on the killing is asked to call the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office at 337-491-3605 or Crime Stoppers at 337-439-2222.

Hammons' closest loved ones in Houston spoke out to ABC13 tonight. Brothers Kenneth and Ryan Walker said they've known him since birth. They call themselves Hammons' cousins. They described him as a fun-loving guy who often liked to crack jokes. They said he wanted to work in a refinery with hopes of giving his younger brother a better life.

"It was like it was to send a message. That's what got me confused," said Kenneth Walker. "I don't understand why. I don't."

They want to know what led up to Hammons' murder. They both saw him within the past week.

"It's random tears. Random cries throughout the day. Random stuff you see on Facebook," said Ryan Walker. "It breaks your heart to see somebody that you love go through something like that."

The Walkers said Hammons' mother is taking the death hard. They are working to raise money to bury him. They've created a GoFundMe account to help cover expenses.

They also planned a car wash and BBQ benefit for Saturday, Aug. 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the O'Reilly's at 2110 Little York Rd. in Houston.

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