Police say suspect from UH is self-styled vigilante HPD: Accused UH student was self-styled vigilante

Jeremy Lee Pierce, 32, is charged with murder in the shooting death of Joe David Tall, a homeless man killed on the University of Houston central campus earlier this year. Jeremy Lee Pierce, 32, is charged with murder in the shooting death of Joe David Tall, a homeless man killed on the University of Houston central campus earlier this year. Photo: Not Listed Photo: Not Listed Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Police say suspect from UH is self-styled vigilante 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The University of Houston student accused of killing a homeless man on campus earlier this year considers himself a vigilante intent on cleaning crime from Houston, police said.

Jeremy Lee Pierce, 32, is charged with murder in the death of Joe David Tall, who was shot in the back of the head at close range while he slept at a bus stop at Holman and Cullen on Feb. 7.

Investigators were baffled by the crime for weeks because they had no leads or explanations for why anybody would kill a sleeping man. They got a break in the case Wednesday.

Campus police called Houston Police Department after they arrested a man on accusations that he threatened two of his friends with a gun. The victims, investigators said, told police that Pierce had boasted about killing Tall.

When Houston homicide detectives interviewed Pierce, he admitted the killing and had offered an explanation, an investigator said. He also told them he was bipolar and that he wanted to clean crime from the city because police had not been doing a good job.

“He fancied himself a Charles Bronson type,” said Houston Police Department investigator Michael Miller, referring to the star of the Death Wish series of vigilante justice films. “He was going to clean up the streets and protect the ladies.”

Miller said that Pierce admitted he had particular disdain for homeless people.

“He was going to get rid of them,” Miller said. “He didn’t like them always lying around bus stops.”

Victim’s brother relieved

Miller described Pierce’s demeanor as “boastful” during questioning and that he appeared excited about being at the center of media coverage.

“He was very enthusiastic — thrilled, in fact — that his picture would be in the paper,” Miller said.

Miller said the weapon used to kill Tall was the same .357-caliber revolver that was used to threaten Pierce’s two friends, and that was also found in his apartment.

Tall’s brother, Randall Wade Craven, expressed relief that an arrest had been made in the case. He said the killing seemed so random that he never thought police would solve it.

“I’m just dumbfounded that it was somebody at the college,” Craven said.

Miller said he knew little about Pierce, except that he had attended Galveston College. He said that Pierce told investigators he watched them as they investigated the shooting scene.

Aunt in Houston area

According to public records, Pierce was convicted in 2005 of burglary of habitation in Wichita County and sentenced to 205 days in jail.

Miller said Friday that Pierce reported being estranged from his parents and that the relative to whom he was closest was an aunt who lives in the Houston area.

Tall’s family has said that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was about 15. He had left the family’s northeast home at 19 and lived on the streets for about 30 years.

His mental illness, Craven said, had pushed his brother away from his relatives, even though they tried to help him.

“I’m very relieved they got the killer,” he said. “It puts a cap on it.”

Pierce remains in the Harris County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail. A court hearing scheduled for Friday was postponed until next week.

dale.lezon@chron.com