Kyle Police Department Makes Arrest In 2015 Double Homicide Case

KYLE, TEXAS – The Kyle Police Department announced on Wednesday, Feb. 3 that a suspect is in custody on two Capital Murder charges for the 2015 murders of James “Jim” Wright, 45 of Kyle, and Tina Combs, 44 of Arlington, Texas.  

Larry Simon, 47, was incarcerated in the Hays County Jail on unrelated charges when the Kyle Police Department sought two arrest warrants for capital murder charges from Hays County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Beth Smith.

He currently remains booked in Hays County Jail without bond. 

Simon was a known associate of Wright and had been identified as a person of interest early in the investigation and on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, Kyle Police were able to obtain warrants for his arrest.  

According to Barnett, Simon was a former employee and roommate of Wright. 

“Preserving the integrity of this case and the subsequent prosecution has been a top priority for our department throughout the entirety of the investigation,” Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett said. “Detectives have spent thousands of hours diligently following leads and gathering evidence to find who was responsible for this and see that justice was given to the victims and their families. In addition to the police that worked this case tirelessly, I would like to also offer our sincere gratitude to the Texas Rangers who assisted in the investigation of this case.”

Barnett held a 4-minute press update for the media and read a statement from Wright’s family.

“Today, the Wright family wants to express gratitude to all the many friends of our dear Jimmy that have been so supportive of us through these difficult years. News of this arrest does not bring our family any joy. We only hope that if the suspect is found guilty, justice will keep him from hurting another family the way he has hurt ours,” Mr. & Mrs. Charles and Carolyn Wright said. 

The Kyle Police Department has been investigating the case since June 25, 2015, when the department responded to a check-welfare call at Wright’s home at 810 S. Sledge St. and discovered the bodies of Wright and Combs.

The investigation and subsequent autopsies ruled the deaths as homicides. The case will be filed in the Hays County Criminal District Attorney’s office for prosecution.