GUILTY TX - Dr. Mario Gonzalez, 56, murdered at his Bellville ranch, 22 Aug 2009

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CuriousTwo, thanks for the update. So the third suspect just lays down and goes prone when he sees the marshalls. A good sign he might easily give up the motive behind this murder. I think someone paid him to hire the other two, and they didn't know who that was.
 
It is interesting that in one statement officials state that they don't believe the ranch hand to be involved despite being brother to the two arrested suspects and then later it is amended that they don't have any evidence linking him to the crime. See posts 242 and 243. Is this just different wording to say the same thing or are they growing suspicious of Noel?
It'll be interesting to see how this unfolds, but I'm not going to lie, IMO, it would seem likely that the ranch hand, despite being shot, may have had some involvement. On the other hand, the two brothers may have come up with the plan based on their brother innocently talking about the comings and goings of the Doctor or what valuables were at the ranch. We shall see.
Peace be with the Doctor's family and all that cared for him, it appears he was a special being who was lost way too soon.

(bold mine)

The only reason I don't think they were there with robbery or theft in mind is because the area is known for weekend ranches that city dwellers only visit on the weekends. If they had wanted to steal valuables, they could have very easily done it during the week when no one was home. And, since they were related to the ranch hand, in all likelihood, they knew that the doctor was only there on weekends. Happens frequently, unfortunately.
 
CuriousTwo, thanks for the update. So the third suspect just lays down and goes prone when he sees the marshalls. A good sign he might easily give up the motive behind this murder. I think someone paid him to hire the other two, and they didn't know who that was.

Good point! I sure hope so.
 
At first, news reports said there were 5 suspects, then 4. Now, they've arrested 3 and there's no mention that another is at large. Wonder if LE has all the suspects they're looking for?
 
http://www.chron.com/disp/discuss.mpl/ap/nation/6598966.html


<snipped>


NurseJustice wrote:
FACTS: I also worked in the Methodist as a nurse and went to the wake that Friday to support one of the best docs in the Med Center and a wonderful person. The new wife (29) not only asked for donations from the Methodist email base (to pocket most likely) but also changed the Funeral mass and burial to a different local on the news at the last minute so that the Mother of the doc, brothers, sister (whom some came from Guatemala for this occasion) and sons and daughters from previous marriage were not invited!! What kind of person does that?? POOR MOTHER AND FAMILY OF DR. G! We miss you!
9/2/2009 6:11:29 PM

TexasFlower wrote:
What Nurse Justice said is true. I was at the funeral service that was originally planned for him at St. Vincent de Paul...this woman is heartless. Just to clarify: The "Educational" fund that she is asking people to donate to, is for her children....this is not a scholarship fund set up in his memory. Please take note of this when you think about donating....sounds like the Doc might not have changed his will when he remarried.
9/3/2009 9:16:40 AM


dkritype4u wrote:
Thanks for clarifying the educational fund situation. We too believed that this was a charity organization ran by Dr. Gonzalez. This pretty much is letting everyone know that money was on her mind even though her husband, who by the way was still above ground, was brutally assassinated while she, herself, should have been too traumatized to function - I know I would have been. But obviously she sure was thinking clear enough to be vindictive and emotionally assassinate this man's family and disrespect the only wife St. Paul's recognized by changing the venue at the last minute. How traumatic that his children were not able to pay their final respects to their beloved father. Which in hindsight is probably why she changed the venue! She wasn't the star.
How sad to be so emotionally damaged that you forgo common sense and compassion in order to strike back at people who had done nothing to you; and if they did, you probably deserved it!
This is how people are going to remember you Mrs. G. Not the widow of a wonderful man, but the manipulating tyrant who denied his family the right to pay their final respects and begging for money before he was even BURIED!
 
wow, I winder if she truly had something to do with this?
 
I search for updates daily, but nothing so far. There has to be so much more to this story than has been reported. I feel so badly for the doctor's family (mother, siblings, children) if they weren't able to attend the funeral service - especially if some of them traveled from out of the country.
 
The ranch hand of a prominent Houston physician who was gunned down at his Austin County ranch last month has been charged in the doctor's death, authorities confirmed Monday.

Noel Galvan Cerna, 21, was arrested Wednesday at his home in the 5800 block of Glenmont in Houston. He is the fourth person charged in the Aug. 22 slaying of Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez, 56.

*snip*

Noel Cerna fell to the ground when the bullet pierced his arm and lodged in his torso. The intruders left him, believing he had died, Martin said.
“His brothers and cousin were very upset that he was shot in the deal,” Martin said. Investigators said they don't believe Gonzalez's wife, who hid inside the ranch house, was involved in the slaying.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6629837.html

(highlighted by me)

Kaelee
 
Thanks for the update. Although unfortunate that somebody the Doctor trusted was involved, this seemed the most likely outcome.

I wonder how closely Noel and Doctor Gonzalez worked together on the weekends, and for how long? Will this turn out to be a crime of greed or were there other factors involved? Didn't early on the police state that Noel was not thought to be involved?

Hopefully they are more confident about the wife when they say the same thing.
The whole incident still seems unresolved. Perhaps with this latest arrest more details will emerge.
 
http://www.khou.com/news/local/crim..._jorge-gonzalez-murder-charge.1a1ab80c7.html#

Noel Galvan, a 21-year-old ranch hand at the doctor's weekend home, was arrested last week in Southwest Houston.

He is being held in the Harris County Jail with no bond.

The motive hasn't been revealed and investigators aren't saying much about the latest arrest.

http://www.khou.com/news/local/crime/stories/M_IMAGE.1223cc986ef.93.88.fa.d0.1a618562d.jpg

Noel Galvan, 21, is charged with murder in the death of Dr. Jorge Gonzalez.

The case will be presented to an Austin County grand jury later this month.

<snipped>
 
http://www.khou.com/news/local/stor...ts.1cee114ba.html?ocp=2#slcgm_comments_anchor

Suspects in Gonzalez murder indicted on capital murder charges

HOUSTON— Four suspects charged with the murder of Dr. Jorge Gonzalez were indicted on capital murder charges Wednesday in Austin County.

Authorities confirmed that the motive was kidnapping and robbery. They say the three Houston brothers and their cousin were planning to kidnap the doctor's wife and baby and hold them for ransom.

They were going to drive the doctor to a bank and force him to withdraw money, according to 11 News sources.

<snipped>
 
Thank you for all the updates CuriousTwo. Hopefully the judicial system will be swift and appropriate, while I personally do not believe in the D.P., I hope these three young men get the correct punishment. This was so needless and it is still sad to think of the loss they made in the community, let alone in his own family. And while alot of the comments on the article's site are sarcastic against the suspects mother's (aunt's) grief, I do feel for her. Can you imagine having your children and relatives commit this kind of crime? I have compassion for their grief and sense of loss too, as long as it does not encompass enabling and do not think their turmoil supersedes those of the victims family, but I do feel for this woman as well. Anyhow, thanks again for the updates.
 
From February 2012:

http://www.sealynews.com/news/article_2f82e17a-4d21-11e1-a56f-001871e3ce6c.html

Austin County jurors handed down a life without parole sentence against Cristobal Galvan-Cerna Wednesday afternoon...

The trial, which also includes charges of attempted burglary and attempted kidnapping of Gonzalez&#8217;s wife, Charleen, began last Wednesday and in the following days, jurors learned details of the fatal death of the Houston doctor...

From November 2012:

http://www.sealynews.com/news/article_e7eb020a-33ef-11e2-8655-001a4bcf887a.html

It took Austin County jurors two-and-a-half hours to decide the fate of 24-year-old Noel Galvan-Cerna Monday afternoon, sentencing him to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the murder of Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez.

From May 2013:

http://www.sealynews.com/news/article_51a645cc-b287-11e2-8ce4-0019bb2963f4.html

After four years, all four of the suspects charged with the murder of Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez have been sentenced...

Cerna pleaded guilty to murder and was given 50 years in prison, the maximum punishment, for the botched kidnapping and extortion attempt that resulted in the death of Gonzalez at his Bellville ranch.

Santollo, who worked with law enforcement and testified against the other defendants, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 38 years in prison.
 

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