A 40-year-old Kentucky man is being held without bond in the Comal County Jail after deputies say they found a man lying under a vehicle, bleeding from a head wound, along a rural stretch of road south of Canyon Lake. Brandon Lee Woods was taken into custody without incident and now faces a first-degree felony murder charge, along with a lesser charge tied to how he identified himself to deputies at the scene.
Comal County deputies responded around 11 a.m. Monday to a report of a man lying under a vehicle in the 3000 block of FM 2673, according to WOAI. First responders reported the victim showed no signs of life, and he was later determined to have died from a gunshot wound. Authorities have not released the victim's identity, and the motive behind the shooting remains unclear.
Investigators identified Woods as the suspect using witness statements and physical evidence gathered at the scene, the station reported. He was formally identified as a 40-year-old Kentucky man by KENS 5, which reported he was taken into custody without incident on Monday.
Charges Include Felony Murder and a Misdemeanor Count
Woods was arrested for first-degree felony murder and was also charged with a Class B misdemeanor for failure to identify, per the same account from the original report. As of Tuesday morning, no bond had been set. According to the San Antonio Express-News, Comal County sheriff's deputies logged both counts at booking, with the misdemeanor charge reflecting the standard used when someone is accused of giving officers false information after being lawfully detained.
Under Texas Penal Code Section 19.02, first-degree felony murder carries a sentencing range of 5 to 99 years or life in state prison, along with a fine of up to $10,000, according to a legal explainer from Saputo Toufexis. Separately, under Texas Penal Code Section 38.02, a person commits a Class B misdemeanor for failure to identify by intentionally giving a false name, address, or date of birth to a detaining officer, an offense punishable by up to 180 days in jail and fines up to $2,000, per FindLaw.
Deputies Call the Shooting an Isolated Incident
Sgt. Shawn Trevino said the quick response of patrol deputies and thorough investigative work allowed authorities to secure the scene and safely take the suspect into custody. Per sheriff's officials, the shooting poses no ongoing threat to the public and appears to be an isolated incident. The investigation remains ongoing and is being handled by Comal County authorities.
The stretch of FM 2673 where the shooting happened sits along a major commercial corridor on the south side of Canyon Lake, running between the unincorporated communities of Startzville and Sattler in rural Comal County. It is not the first fatal shooting the sheriff's office has investigated in the Canyon Lake area — in a March 2024 case, 62-year-old Edward Canales was found dead from gunshot wounds in the 400 block of Deer Valley Street.
Case Adds to a Busy Stretch for Comal County Law Enforcement
The arrest comes amid a stretch of high-profile activity for local law enforcement and the courts. Earlier this month, a Comal County jury sentenced a 52-year-old man to 23 years in state prison following a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and family violence, and the sheriff's office wrapped a three-day multi-agency undercover operation that led to six arrests and the recovery of six human trafficking victims. Comal County commissioners have also been weighing a $213.16 million budget for the coming fiscal year that includes funding for 32 new county positions and ongoing expansion of the county jail, where Woods is now held.
Open questions remain in the case, including the identity of the man who was killed and why Woods was in the area at the time of the shooting. Comal County authorities have not released additional details as the investigation continues.
