TEMPLE, Texas — A Temple man was charged with murder on Tuesday morning. Palmer Contreras was charged more than a year after a woman told detectives he confessed to shooting his missing neighbor, Tommy Hebert, in the chest and hiding his body, according to a previous arrest affidavit.
The body of a man was discovered buried in a shallow grave in Killeen on September 12, 2019, according to Temple Police. The body was sent for forensic analysis at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science at Dallas. After the analysis was complete, authorities found evidence indicating that it was Tommy Herbert.
According to TPD, the autopsy report lists the manner of death as a homicide and that he died from gunshot wounds.
Temple Police said, upon review, the DA’s office determined there was sufficient evidence to charge Palmer Grant Contreras with the murder of Tommy Hebert.
Contreras had been in custody since May 31, 2019 on charges of tampering with evidence and possession of child pornography, according to TPD.
A murder warrant was issued and served on December 22, 2020 while he was already in custody on other charges.
Tommy Glen Hebert was reported missing on May 29, 2019 by his son who believed he was in danger, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit said the woman told detectives she went to Hebert's home in the 3700 block of Lower Troy Rd. in Temple on May 27, 2019, but he was not there.
When she came back the next day and saw Hebert was still not home, she went to Contreras' house next door. There, she said Contreras told her he shot Hebert in the chest, hid the body and needed help hiding his black Dodge Ram pickup truck, the affidavit said.
The affidavit said when the woman was leaving Contreras' house, she saw a man getting in Hebert's pickup as Contreras entered his own pickup. She said she saw both pickups leave Lower Troy Rd.
The woman also told detectives that she later saw Hebert's pickup on I-35 near Temple High School.
When Hebert's son reported he was missing, he said he found Hebert's pickup on May 28 on I-35 in the 200 block of N. General Bruce Dr., the affidavit said.
According to the affidavit, another woman told detectives she heard Contreras call a man asking for help getting rid of Hebert's body on May 26, 2019.
Contreras' is currently in the Bell County Jail facing five felony charges including murder, possession of child pornography and tampering/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair. His bond is set at $1,210,000.