A man found dead at a Central El Paso home last week in what police said is a murder investigation has been identified by his family as a former U.S. Army soldier.
Larry Donnell Lacey III, 23, who was originally from Louisiana, had a girlfriend with a baby on the way and planned to enroll in truck driving school, according to an obituary from Johnson Funeral Home in southwest Louisiana.
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“We are hoping for justice and seeking justice,” Lacey’s sister Kameryn LeBert told KPLC 7 News in Lake Charles, Louisiana. “If anything, we want to get his face out there and his actual story. I feel like right now he’s just being labeled as the seventh murder of 2025.”
Last week, a homicide investigation by the Crimes Against Persons Unit began after a man was found dead by police conducting a wellbeing check at 7 p.m. on April 2 in the 4000 block of Fillmore Avenue, an El Paso police news release stated. The address is in the Lower Dyer section of Central El Paso, near the Cassidy Gate of Fort Bliss.
The man’s name has not been formally released by the police Public Information Office. Further details in the case, including a cause of death, have not been disclosed. It is not uncommon for investigators to withhold information to avoid compromising the investigation.
The homicide on Fillmore Avenue is the seventh murder case in El Paso this year compared with five at the same period in 2024, according to police numbers.
“A bright light’
Lacey, who was affectionally known as Donnell, was a native of Sulphur, Louisiana, and joined the military after graduating from high school in Baton Rouge. He had been discharged from the Army prior to his death, according to his obituary and a GoFundMe page raising money for funeral expenses.
Lacey was “a very special person,” LeBert told KPLC, adding, “He could make anyone smile or laugh. He was very determined in everything he did, and he had big dreams and big plans for his future, and I know he was very excited to become a dad.”
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Lacey came from a large, extended family and had a compassionate nature, a creative spirit and a deep love for music, the obituary stated.
“Donnell was a bright light in the lives of everyone who knew him,” his obituary stated. “He had a radiant smile, a laugh that could light up any room, and a heart overflowing with love and compassion. His presence brought warmth, his humor brought joy, and his love brought people together. Though he faced challenges, he met life with sincerity, loyalty, and a deep desire to be understood and loved — and he truly was.”
Anyone with information on the homicide may call the Crimes Against Persons Unit at 915-212-4040 or may anonymously call Crime Stoppers of El Paso at 915-566-8477 (TIPS).
Daniel Borunda may be reached at [email protected] and @BorundaDaniel on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Former US Army soldier killed in Central El Paso was Dad-to-Be
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