By Palm Beach and Broward Mugshots
Stabbing Death on Briana Drive
BELL COUNTY, Texas — A Belton man already awaiting trial on a murder charge in the fatal stabbing of a Killeen resident now faces an additional grand jury indictment for s3xual assault, according to court records released Wednesday.
Jody Christopher Cool, 42, was charged in the death of 32-year-old Justin Charles Thomas after deputies responded to a stabbing call in the on Briana Drive, just west of Belton. As of Monday evening, Cool remained held in the Bell County Jail in lieu of a $1 million bond.
An arrest affidavit filed by Bell County Justice of the Peace Larry Wilkey states that sheriff’s deputies were called to Briana Drive. They found Thomas lying outside the residence with an apparent stab wound to the chest. Belton EMS crews attempted life-saving measures, but Thomas succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The justice of the peace pronounced him dead and ordered an autopsy.
The autopsy, performed at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas, determined that Thomas died from a sharp-force injury to the heart. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.
A witness told investigators that Thomas had been at the property — listed in the affidavit as Cool’s address — working on a vehicle belonging to Cool. The two men became involved in a physical fight inside the house, the affidavit states. After the altercation, Thomas walked outside, and Cool followed carrying a knife. Cool allegedly confronted Thomas, asking if he “wanted to die” before swinging the knife at him. Thomas collapsed moments later.
Cool reportedly admitted to deputies that he and Thomas had fought inside the residence. He claimed he swung the knife because Thomas had threatened him and his vehicle, stating he was acting in self-defense to protect himself and his property. Cool directed officers to the location where he had thrown the knife into the grass on his property. No other weapons were found near Thomas, and the witness said Thomas never displayed or used a weapon during the confrontation.
In addition to Bell County Sheriff’s deputies and Belton EMS, personnel from the Sparta Valley Volunteer Fire Department and Belton Police Department responded to the scene.
Separate S3xual Assault Indictment
Cool was indicted on a charge of s3xual assault. An affidavit dated Aug. 22, 2025, outlines the events surrounding the alleged incident.
On Dec. 27, 2024, a mother reported that her daughters had snuck out the previous night and encountered Cool, who was driving a white pickup truck. He was described as a bald white man wearing a black jacket and two chains. The girls ended up at Cool’s mobile home on Briana Drive in Belton, where they recognized several individuals known to their mother.
One of the girls went into a bedroom with Cool while the others remained in the living room. The pair engaged in adult activity, the affidavit states. The following morning, Cool drove the girls back and dropped them off a few blocks from their home.
Initially, the girl denied any s3xual contact at the residence and declined a forensic exam. On Dec. 31, 2024, however, she was admitted to Canyon Creek Behavioral Health, where she disclosed that Cool had assaulted her and consented to the forensic examination.
That same day, the mother learned from multiple acquaintances that both girls had been seen at Cool’s home. Police also interviewed an individual who had been present that night and confirmed seeing Cool leave with the girls the morning of Dec. 27, 2024.
The girls participated in forensic interviews at the Child Advocacy Center on Jan. 7, 2025. The complainant stated that she had s3x with Cool on Dec. 26 and again on Dec. 27, 2024. Her account differed in some respects from her sister’s, according to the affidavit.
During a police interview on Jan. 19, 2025, Cool admitted to having s3x with the complainant and provided an accurate description of the girls. He told investigators he believed she was 19 years old, saying he had first met her two days earlier at a CEFCO convenience store before taking her to his home, where “things got romantic.” He also confirmed picking up both girls on Dec. 26, 2024, and bringing them to his residence, and that the previously interviewed witness had been inside the home that night.
Upcoming Court Proceedings
Cool is scheduled to stand trial before a jury on the murder charge in the death of Justin Charles Thomas at the end of April 2026.
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