by Jason Hopkins
An illegal immigrant confessed during an interrogation that he killed four people because he needed money to purchase meth.
Wilbur Ernesto Martinez-Guzman, a 20-year-old from El Salvador living in the U.S. illegally, broke down into tears as he confessed to being behind four gruesome murders in Nevada, a detective told a grand jury on Thursday. Martinez-Guzman, who initially giggled as he denied any involvement in the murders, eventually confessed to doing something “unforgivable” when presented with numerous contradictions in his story.
The young Central American was arrested on Jan. 19 and indicted earlier in March for the murders of four individuals. During a rampage that spanned several days in January, Martinez-Guzman allegedly killed Connie Koontz, who was believed to be murdered on Jan 9 or 10, Sophia Renken, who was killed on Jan. 13, and Gerald and Sharon David, whose bodies were found on Jan. 16.
It appears Martinez-Guzman, using a stolen .22 caliber handgun, specifically targeted vulnerable victims. Married couple Gerald and Sharon David were 81 and 80 years old, respectively. Renken was a 74-year-old woman, and Koontz was a 56-year-old woman living with her disabled mother.
The murders, which took place in Nevada, gained widespread national coverage. President Donald Trump mentioned the victims during his State of the Union speech in February, highlighting the need for better immigration enforcement.
“I will fight for the memory of Gerald and Sharon,” Trump stated during his address, as the Davids’ daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter looked on in the gallery.
The president had previously tweeted about the murders in January.
Four people in Nevada viciously robbed and killed by an illegal immigrant who should not have been in our Country. 26 people killed on the Border in a drug and gang related fight. Two large Caravans from Honduras broke into Mexico and are headed our way. We need a powerful Wall!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2019
The Salvadorian immigrant said he committed the murders to get cash for his drug addiction.
“He said he needed the money for the meth and it was the meth,” Washoe County Sheriff’s Detective Stefanie Brady testified to a grand jury, according to a transcript that was filed on Tuesday in Washoe District Court.
Martinez-Guzman’s trial is not expected to start until April 2020. Prosecutors said they are seeking the death penalty.
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Jason Hopkins is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation. Follow Jason on Twitter.
