Accused Laclede County murderer charged in Texas murder

A homeless man charged with 1st-Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, and Felony Stealing in the death of Mark Pitts in Laclede County on July 2nd has been charged with 1st-Degree murder in the state of Texas. Investigators from Angelina County, Texas interviewed Dustin Lee Combs in Laclede County last week in the death of Franklin Donald Cox. Combs allegedly confessed to that murder in Texas. Information was developed by a Laclede County investigator regarding the Texas cold case. 28-year-old, Dustin Lee Combs, who has ties to Lebanon, but was homeless at the time of the murder in Laclede County was arrested in Washington County, Missouri on July 12th in Pitts’ pickup truck. He was armed with a handgun at the time of his arrest. He attempted to flee on foot, but was caught by a Washington County deputy. Combs had a warrant for his arrest in an unrelated matter, and when the deputy checked the vehicle he found it was stolen, and connected to the Laclede County homicide.  Combs is also a suspect in a beating and stabbing of an Arkansas man that occurred a few weeks prior to the murder of Mark Pitts according to Laclede County Sheriff David Milsap.