New Details Emerge in Boca Raton Murder Case Investigation

Willie James Byrd Jr. (Photo: Palm Beach County Jail)

License plate readers, surveillance cameras and cell-site location data helped Boca Raton police track a silver Chrysler 200 and link it to a suspect in the fatal shooting of Arman Motiwalla at an office park, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in court this week.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Willie James Byrd Jr., 42, of Boynton Beach, charging him with first-degree murder with a firearm in the April killing. Authorities allege Byrd surveilled the victim’s workplace, used a vehicle with a stolen license plate to avoid detection, coordinated with an associate and was present at the scene around the time of the shooting.

Motiwalla, who owned a business that had an office at the site where he was killed, was found face down in a parking lot near Camino Gardens Boulevard shortly after 1:44 a.m. on April 8, suffering multiple gunshot wounds to the back and chest. His Apple Watch recorded its last heartbeat around 10:25 p.m. the previous evening, the report said.

The property at 350 Camino Gardens Boulevard, Boca Raton, where a body was found April 8, 2026. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

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Police instantly began utilizing technology to home in on a suspect. Surveillance video from a nearby shopping plaza captured the silver Chrysler 200 — notable for damage to the rear driver’s side bumper, heavy tinting and a missing factory antenna — backing into a parking space near Motiwalla’s Mercedes with its headlights off around 8:20 p.m. on April 7. Shortly after Motiwalla was seen running toward his vehicle, a figure appeared to exit the passenger side of the sedan. The Chrysler then pulled forward without headlights and left the area, the affidavit states.

High Tech Tracking

License plate reader data proved central to the investigation. On April 7, a silver Chrysler 200 bearing tag BU29RQ was recorded traveling west on Woolbright Road in Boynton Beach. Later, the same vehicle, now displaying a stolen tag with a different number, was captured heading eastbound on Palmetto Park Road before switching back to the proper tag after the incident.

On April 9, officers located the unoccupied 2015 Chrysler 200 near a residence associated with Byrd. Byrd approached detectives and made statements about the vehicle’s ownership that investigators described as “inconsistent.” The registered owner was identified as Byrd’s daughter, who told police he was the primary user. A seizure warrant was obtained, followed by a search warrant. Police noted in the arrest affidavit that Byrd appeared to become “nervous” when he realized it was Boca Raton police department that had sent an officer to speak with him.

The property at 350 Camino Gardens Boulevard, Boca Raton, where a body was found April 8, 2026. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Inside the vehicle, authorities reported recovering a photograph showing Byrd with another man, a Post-It note listing the address of the shooting, along with Motiwalla’s name, his fiancée’s name and their personal address, plus ammunition, multiple 9mm magazines, dark clothing items including neck gaiters and gloves, and documents linked to Byrd.

Cell Phone Data Becomes Pivotal

Historical cell-site location information for a phone associated with Byrd, combined with text messages and video, further tied him to the events, police came to believe. Messages allegedly showed coordination with another Apple iPhone account on April 1 about picking someone up and providing an address. Similar patterns appeared on April 2, with the Chrysler captured switching plates and surveillance showing it near the victim’s workplace.

On the day of the shooting, cell phone signals placed Byrd’s device near his residence earlier before tracking movements “consistent with the Chrysler 200’s path.” Conversations, detailed in the affidavit, ranged from mundane to potentially suspicious, with heavy use of slang and nicknames for the people with whom he was exchanging messages. After the shooting, police used plate reader hits, traffic cameras and cell data to track the suspect’s vehicle to an apartment that was identified as belonging to someone known as “cuz.”

Ring camera footage from the cousin’s residence allegedly showed Byrd arriving in the Chrysler around 8:59 p.m., wearing a white long-sleeve shirt. The report stated he was identified by facial features, dreadlocks, build and distinctive tattoos, including one on the right side of his face. He departed around 9:14 p.m., with subsequent tracking leading back toward his residence on Sea Pine Way in Greenacres, where his phone remained for the night.

The combination of surveillance footage, plate reader data, cell site information, vehicle evidence and the text messages exchanges led investigators to conclude there was probable cause for the charge. A warrant for Byrd’s arrest was issued June 2, and he was still being held at the Palm Beach County Jail Tuesday, June 9, without bail.

” This remains an active investigation,” a statement from Boca Raton Police said, urging anyone with information on the case to contact Detective Graham at 561-620-6175.