'Wouldn't be coming around anymore': 2 men arrested over man buried in shallow grave after girlfriend shares drunken confession about digging hole in the woods, police say

Two men successful Texas are down bars aft a 3rd antheral was recovered buried successful a shallow sedate astir Christmas, according to instrumentality enforcement successful the Lone Star State.

Chase Cook, 23, and Alexander James Nicholas, 23, basal accused of murder, according to the Fort Worth Police Department.

The 2 men were arrested respective months isolated successful transportation with the precocious December 2025 stabbing death of 24-year-old John Richardson.

Police judge the underlying incidental occurred during the aboriginal greeting hours the time earlier the unfortunate was reported missing. The missing idiosyncratic probe was short-lived, however, and constabulary rapidly moved to a homicide posture portion investigating the case.

On Dec. 22, detectives recovered Richardson's assemblage successful a wooded country of Fort Worth located successful Denton County. Most of the large, sprawling metropolis covers Tarrant County but extends into 5 counties total.

The unfortunate near a enactment with Nicholas connected Nov. 30, 2025, the past nighttime helium was seen alive, according to an apprehension affidavit obtained by CBS News. Nicholas, for his part, allegedly told detectives helium near the unfortunate astatine a circumstantial determination portion Richardson was inactive alive.

Law enforcement arrested Nicholas connected Christmas Day.

On Tuesday, constabulary arrested and booked Cook, according to Tarrant County Corrections Center records.

As it turned out, Richardson was expected to beryllium dropped disconnected astatine his girlfriend's location but ne'er arrived, according to apprehension affidavits obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Nicholas would allegedly spell connected to accidental helium and Richardson got into an statement during the drive, which led to the unfortunate being determination betwixt Alliance Boulevard and a Buc-ee's motortruck halt successful the acold bluish reaches of Fort Worth.

A witnesser cited by instrumentality enforcement recalled Nicholas showing radical a metallic and achromatic handgun anterior to the brace leaving the party, constabulary said. Then, days aft the party, Nicholas allegedly told the aforesaid witness: "John wouldn't beryllium coming astir anymore."

That person questioned what the suspect meant, according to a transcript of the affidavit obtained by Dallas-based Fox affiliate KDFW.

"[Nicholas] made his fingers into the signifier of a gun, and said 'you cognize what I mean,'" the affidavit reads. "When [the friend] asked him if helium killed [Richardson], [Nicholas] shook his caput yes and told [the friend] if helium wanted to cognize what happened that they could spell into the woods and crook their phones off."

A 2nd witnesser said Nicholas was aggravated with Richardson implicit a car accident, with the suspect blaming the victim, constabulary claim.

As the archetypal defendant's communicative continued, helium met with Cook aft dropping Richardson off, constabulary said. Cook aboriginal told constabulary helium was drunk astatine the clip and could not retrieve if anyone other was successful the car with Nicholas erstwhile the brace met up that night.

During an interview, Cook allegedly "teared up and wouldn't answer" erstwhile pressed astir his cognition of Richardson's last whereabouts, constabulary said. Still, the 2nd suspect ne'er admitted to knowing wherever the victim's assemblage was dumped, authorities said.

But Cook's woman was allegedly a antithetic story.

The woman would yet archer detectives Cook received a substance connection from Nicholas precocious connected the nighttime of the enactment and that helium near the location saying helium had to "go assistance Alex," according to the affidavit. Then, erstwhile helium returned the adjacent day, Cook allegedly lone revealed that helium and Nicholas had gone to the woods, constabulary said.

Days aft the murder, Cook was drinking, his woman said. This bout of imbibing led him to archer her helium and Nicholas dug a six-foot spread successful the woods connected the nighttime successful question, according to instrumentality enforcement.

Detectives firmed up the allegations against the 2 defendants by obtaining cellphone determination information that showed Richardson, Nicholas, and Cook each astatine oregon adjacent a location successful the aforesaid wooded country wherever the victim's assemblage was found, constabulary allege.

The unfortunate is believed to person been killed by a operation of stabbing wounds to his assemblage and blunt unit trauma to his head, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office.

Nicholas is presently detained successful the Tarrant County jailhouse connected $300,000 bond. Cook is being detained connected $250,000 bond.