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Silsbee man arrested on manslaughter charge in February death of Kountze man

He was was arrested Wednesday night after running from deputies near the Village Creek bridge along FM 418.

KOUNTZE, Texas — A 30-year-old Silsbee man is behind bars on multiple charges including manslaughter after running from Hardin County deputies on Wednesday night. 

Taylor James Cantrell, 30, of Silsbee, was arrested Wednesday night after running from deputies near the Village Creek bridge along FM 418 near Kountze according to a news release from the Hardin County Sheriff's Office.

A deputy on patrol along FM418 spotted two men involved in what he believed to be "suspicious activity" but when he stopped to check them out one of them ran into the woods according to a Hardin County Sheriff's Office Facebook post.

The man who didn't run into the woods was arrested, although the sheriff's office did not say why he was arrested.

Deputies eventually located the man that ran from them and arrested him the release said. That man turned out to be Cantrell deputies said.

On February 24, 2022, Hardin County deputies began investigating the death of Jeremiah Ray, 30, of Silsbee, who deputies say had been a patron in an illegal game room near Silsbee. They were initially told that he died after "exiting a moving vehicle" according to the news release.

While investigating they found evidence that led them to believe that another person was involved in Ray's death.

Cantrell was indicted by a Hardin County grand jury on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, for manslaughter in connection with Ray's death the release said.

He has also been charged with aggravated robbery in connection with the robbery of a person near Silsbee two days before Ray's death.

He's being held in the Hardin County Jail on a $100,000 bond on the second degree felony manslaughter charge but his bond hasn't been set yet on the robbery charge according to the release.

Cantrell has also been indicted on two charges in Liberty County in connection with a March 2021 shooting. Deputies say that, in that case, he left the scene in Liberty County with a gun and headed into Hardin County.

He then attempted to "destroy evidence" while knowing an investigation had been started in Liberty County the release said.

This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.

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