KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX/Gray News) – A Texas father has been indicted for criminally negligent homicide following the 2023 boating death of his 11-year-old daughter, Zoey Rene Walls.
A Bell County grand jury returned the indictment on Wednesday after reviewing the findings of an investigation led by the Bell County Sheriff’s Office. On Thursday, 44-year-old Joshua Glenn Walls of Killeen was taken into custody by authorities, including members of the Violent Crimes Apprehension Team.
The tragic incident occurred on July 2, 2023, at Stillhouse Hollow Lake in Belton. According to investigators, Zoey was being pulled on an inflatable tube by a family-operated boat. When she fell into the water, her father — who was driving the boat — circled back to retrieve her. During the maneuver, the boat struck Zoey, causing fatal injuries.
Officials have not released detailed information on the circumstances that led to the criminally negligent homicide charge, but the indictment indicates a belief that negligence played a key role in the fatal accident.
Walls was booked into the Bell County Jail and is being held on a $50,000 bond.
The case remains under investigation.
