PORTER, Texas – A Montgomery County Grand Jury has indicted a Magnolia man in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred early New Year’s Day in Porter.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, 55-year-old Vernon James Cradier has been charged with murder in the death of Clarence “Tom” Modlin III.
Recommended Videos
Deputies responded around 1:20 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2026, to a reported shooting at a home on Alexander Lane in Porter, Texas. When they arrived, they found Modlin suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. First responders attempted lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators say Cradier remained at the residence and admitted to firing the shots that killed Modlin.
Detectives with the sheriff’s office Major Crimes Division determined the shooting followed an altercation between the two men that escalated into a physical and verbal confrontation. During the encounter, authorities say Cradier produced a firearm and shot Modlin.
Officials also noted Cradier was out on bond at the time for an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge tied to a 2025 road rage incident that drew public attention.
Because of the circumstances surrounding the case, it was presented to a grand jury for review.
On March 10, 2026, the grand jury returned a murder indictment against Cradier. He was later arrested on the warrant and is being held in the Montgomery County Jail without bond.
The sheriff’s office credited its Major Crimes Detectives, Crime Scene Investigators and the district attorney’s office for their work on the case.