Houston bar employee found dead with apparent blunt force trauma, police say

The back door was unlocked, the car was gone, and a man was dead. HPD homicide is looking for answers at a Houston business.

HOUSTON — Houston police are investigating the death of a man found inside a Bellaire Boulevard bar and game room Friday afternoon. Investigator say he was found when a coworker arrived to check on an overnight employee who had not been heard from all morning.

The victim, described only as an adult male, was found dead in the kitchen area of the business along Bellaire Boulevard, just west of the Beltway, which investigators believe operates 24 hours a day. HPD Homicide Det. Keith Lovelace said the case is being worked as a homicide.

“Earlier this afternoon, an employee of the business behind us came to check on the overnight employee because they had not heard from him all morning,” Lovelace said. “He entered the business, found the employee deceased in the kitchen area.”

The victim had blunt force injuries, Lovelace said. The man has not yet been identified, and police have not determined an exact time of death. Lovelace described the business as a bar and game room where customers can play video games, have drinks, and eat food.

The victim’s vehicle is believed to be missing, according to Lovelace, and has been sent out to patrol officers.

Investigators got a potential lead on timing after learning that two men showed up at the business at some point during the night and found it locked, which Lovelace said was unusual for a place that should have been open around the clock. The rear door of the business was found unlocked when officers arrived.

Lovelace said security camera footage is a top priority in the investigation. The business is located in a complex with multiple cameras.

“Videos, of course, and the evidence from the scene are very important. Those are the first things that we’re going to be trying to find today and tomorrow,” he said.

Police are also working to identify who may have been inside the business at the time of the incident.

“That’s a part of our investigation, is trying to identify who all was here at the time,” Lovelace said.

Anyone with information is asked to call HPD Homicide at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-224-TIPS.