Murder charges filed in missing teen case

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A tip from a man in Georgia led investigators to the body of a 19-year-old Katy man who had been missing since last week. The body was found off Fuqua and Cottingham in southeast Houston.

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Authorities say they're filing murder charges against Lee Carl Banks, III, of Houston. Detectives say Banks has admitted shooting the victim, Spencer Vogt, multiple times. Detectives say on the body were clothes, a tattoo and piercings similar to the ones Vogt had. While the medical examiner hasn't yet identified the body, investigators do believe it is Vogt.

The Fort Bend County Sheriff's office focused a search Wednesday night on an area of southeast Houston after getting what they call a confession from the last person known to be with Vogt.

"Don't know motivations yet as far as why he injure him and take his car," said Chief Craig Brady with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office.

A deputy found the body in a ditch on the side of the road near Fuqua and Cottingham. It was covered in a blue tarp. Martha Beatty lives just down the street from where it was found.

"Well, it's scary," she said. "It's real scary around here because it's getting bad. There's a lot of it going on."

Authorities can't say how long the body had been there. Vogt has been missing since Friday. After that a Houston man was discovered in Georgia, driving Vogt's car. Chief Brady says warrants are being issued which they hope will help them figure out what led to this murder.

He explained, "We have information that leads us to believe he met an individual online, went to Houston to meet that person, which in all probability is going to be the person that had the vehicle in Georgia."

Investigators spent time Thursday evening at an apartment in southeast Houston, where they say the suspect lived, and where they believe the victim was killed. The medical examiner has not yet officially identified the body as that of Vogt, though investigators say they do believe Vogt was the man who was killed. They say Vogt was a student at Cinco Ranch High School in Katy.

Vogt's family says they have no comment.

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local, kevin quinn

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