BELL COUNTY, Texas — Investigators across Bell County are busy after a violent 48-hour span that left two people dead in separate domestic-related incidents.
In Killeen, police are investigating a stabbing following an argument over a cellphone just after 6 a.m. Friday. Officers found 33-year-old Jonathan David Buckner dead in a field near Love Road and Horne Drive.
Investigators said Buckner had been in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend over a phone, ran outside with it, and was pursued by a 19-year-old suspect, identified as Jordan Johnson.
The confrontation turned physical in the field, and the Killeen Police Department says Johnson stabbed Buckner, who later died.
Johnson has been charged with tampering with evidence and booked on a $30,000 bond.
Killeen Police Public Affairs Officer Ofelia Miramontes notes that domestic incidents tend to climb as the holidays approach.
"Obviously with holidays arising, domestic violence does rise. You know we try to tell people, you know, just like bad weather days, people are cooped up in a house inside and you know one thing can lead to another ..." Miramontes said.
Just a day later, on Saturday morning, the Bell County Sheriff's Office responded to a domestic shooting in Little River Academy.
Deputies arrived at a home on Allison Drive to find 911 caller Micah Daniel Ruzicka detained outside with blood on his clothes, and his wife, Kimberli Ruzicka, dead inside.
Investigators say Micah Ruzicka admitted to shooting his wife twice during a post-arrest interview. He has been formally charged with murder and is being held on a 1 million dollar bond.
Both law enforcement agencies emphasize that help is available before arguments escalate to tragedy.
"If it's an emergency, call 911. Whether it's a Bell County Sheriff's Office or another local agency. We're going to respond. Let the dispatcher know if you're injured. Let them know if there are children and let them know if there are weapons that are present," Bell County Sheriff's Office PIO Cliff Coleman said.
Law enforcement says that if you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.
In Bell County, you can contact:
Families In Crisis (Killeen & Central Texas): Call 1-888-799-SAFE for 24-hour confidential support, emergency shelter, and advocacy for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and family crises in Bell, Coryell, and Hamilton counties. You can also walk in at 1305 East Rancier Avenue, Killeen, TX (Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
https://familiesincrisis.net/
Bell County Attorney's Office, you can access the Protective Order Intake Form to start the intake process, or dial #254- 933-5135 or #254- 933- 5744
In Killeen, you can go to the Killeen Police Department's victim assistance page.
https://www.killeentexas.gov/280/Victims-Assistance
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