NV - 4 Murders in one week, LE asking for tips, Washoe & Douglas Counties, Jan 2019 *arrest*

[pandamonium]

According to this, the FBI no longer uses the term spree killer so that's why we don't hear it more often:

Spree vs. Serial Killers

During a symposium in 2005, the FBI dropped the classification of “spree killer,” because law enforcement officers thought it had no practical value. The agency published its decision in 2008 here: Serial Murder

“The validity of spree murder as a separate category was discussed at great length. The general definition of spree murder is two or more murders committed by an offender or offenders, without a cooling-off period. According to the definition, the lack of a cooling-off period marks the difference between a spree murder and a serial murder. Central to the discussion was the definitional problems relating to the concept of a cooling-off period. Because it creates arbitrary guidelines, the confusion surrounding this concept led the majority of attendees to advocate disregarding the use of spree murder as a separate category. The designation does not provide any real benefit for use by law enforcement.”

 

[BaffleMe]

Yes, the Elizabeth Smart case is another example of a handyman type worker at the house. Makes you wonder just how often this occurs.

With the 2nd victim, there has been no report of anything taken so if that's true robbery doesn't appear to be the only motive here. Puzzling.

Technically, yes, he's a serial killer. I believe anything after 3 qualifies as a serial killer. Although he's more of a spree killer since there was no break in between killings. Spree/serial . . too many imo and just a matter of semantics but supposedly there is a technical difference. The news has been pretty careful in using those words, mostly I think because the connections were officially made after they caught him and to lessen mass panic.

I believe serial is 3 or more. I have to look up spree. The time between killings is way short. That's part of what makes me wonder if this spree was a first for him.

 

[pandamonium]

Here is another article on the differences between spree/serial/mass killers. I've read differing opinions on the number of victims to define a serial/spree killer but regardless I'm pretty sure our perp fits the bill:

What is the difference between a serial killer, spree killer and mass murderer? 

The dictionary defines a serial killer as “a person who kills more than one victim in more than one location in a very short period of time,” but according to the FBI that definition actually reflects the behavior of a spree killer.

A spree killer is someone who kills two or more victims over a short period of time without a cooling-off period, the FBI said. At this point and with what we know about the case, it seems this description fits the killer in the Tampa shooting deaths better than serial killer.

Spree killers don’t resume their normal lives in between killings like serial killers do, according to Psychology Today.

 

[pandamonium]

I believe serial is 3 or more. I have to look up spree. The time between killings is way short. That's part of what makes me wonder if this spree was a first for him.

According to LE, he has no reported history of criminal records so as far as we know, this was a first. ICE also stated no records of criminal background. Now, that doesn't mean, he didn't do anything . . .maybe he did and they just don't know and he didn't get caught. I have no doubt he at least stole before. But, based on what I've seen locally, this guy was not too bright. Pretty sure if he did anything in the past, they would know about it. He made a lot of mistakes, obviously and that's how/why he got caught.

 

[BaffleMe]

According to LE, he has no reported history of criminal records so as far as we know, this was a first. ICE also stated no records of criminal background. Now, that doesn't mean, he didn't do anything . . .maybe he did and they just don't know and he didn't get caught. I have no doubt he at least stole before. But, based on what I've seen locally, this guy was not too bright. Pretty sure if he did anything in the past, they would know about it. He made a lot of mistakes, obviously and that's how/why he got caught.

I bet he did steal before. And he's familiar with pawn shops. I wonder why he was collecting guns. I am using that word; it may not be the correct one, but since he buried stolen guns, .... so odd.

 

[pandamonium]

Here is the info from ICE regarding no prior criminal history: ICE clarifies immigration status of murder suspect

Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong announced after the the arrest of Wilber Ernesto Martinez-Guzman that the suspect was in the US illegally from El Salvador, but his exact status was unclear, such as whether he had overstayed a visa.

In a statement, a spokesperson for ICE says, "Mr. Martinez-Guzman is a citizen of El Salvador who entered the United States unlawfully on an unknown date and location. He has no prior criminal or immigration history. ICE has lodged a detainer."

 

[pandamonium]

I bet he did steal before. And he's familiar with pawn shops. I wonder why he was collecting guns. I am using that word; it may not be the correct one, but since he buried stolen guns, .... so odd.

2 guesses here . . . to sell and/or commit more crimes. Thank goodness they caught him when they did is all I can say!

 

[BaffleMe]

Here is the info from ICE regarding no prior criminal history: ICE clarifies immigration status of murder suspect

Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong announced after the the arrest of Wilber Ernesto Martinez-Guzman that the suspect was in the US illegally from El Salvador, but his exact status was unclear, such as whether he had overstayed a visa.

In a statement, a spokesperson for ICE says, "Mr. Martinez-Guzman is a citizen of El Salvador who entered the United States unlawfully on an unknown date and location. He has no prior criminal or immigration history. ICE has lodged a detainer."

So, after he goes to trial in the U.S., as has been indicated, will he to to a U.S. Jail?

 

[pandamonium]

So, after he goes to trial in the U.S., as has been indicated, will he to to a U.S. Jail?

Yes, he will stay in a US jail likely forever with all of the charges pending against him. They are still deciding whether or not to pursue the death penalty. I don't believe he can be deported until he has served his time so that's not likely to ever happen from what I've heard.

 

[BaffleMe]

Yes, he will stay in a US jail likely forever with all of the charges pending against him. They are still deciding whether or not to pursue the death penalty. I don't believe he can be deported until he has served his time so that's not likely to ever happen from what I've heard.

You are MOST likely correct. TY

 

[Herat]

Living in this area, these crimes have really upset a great many people. Stores sold out of pepper spray, gun counters couldn't get the background checks turned around fast enough. People were lined up at gun counters. All sorts of stuff has now boosted the self-protection business. Try getting an appointment for someone to install a security system !

I signed up for a CCW class to get license to carry a weapon. Not at all what I would have predicted I would be doing a year ago. The instructor highly recommended to me says he had 30 women sign up for his classes in ONE DAY. And he is booked 2 weeks out.....

So, the anxiety has been high but we have all learned some lessons from this.

All those that LE has recommended. Most of all LOCK YOUR DOORS. Reportedly he entered all the residences through unlocked doors, and he had been doing some lawn service work for all 3 locations. There is some other information out there that LE hasn't released or doesn't want to release at this point, but this was more than just a crime of random opportunity. All 3 of the locations had dogs. Was he familiar enough that the dogs didn't alarm on him?

He was able to size up his targets. And it was all for theft to pawn stuff. All inconsequential "stuff". All for pawn.

The following is MYOO, and the information comes from a very trusted friend who is heavily into security. Gangs operate like sales groups. Everyone has a quota. Like bring in $300 this week to stay in the group. LE had said he worked alone, OK, fine. I'll take them at their word for this. But I have lots of questions.

But this crime spree, that we know about, was happening with some terrifying regularity.... like every 3-4 days. As if he had a deadline to come up with $$$. And he was pawing stuff within 24 hours of the attacks and victim's murders. AND: He was apprehended about 4 days after the David's murder with the same gun in his car at night. Where was he going? Was he planning another murder/robbery? Stuff that makes you go.....hmmmm

LE says he wasnt known to them. He really only came to their attention after the murder of Connie Koontz, with an item stolen from a previous employer, Gerry David. MOO: I believe there is a pawn history on him a mile long, Reno, Carson City, Dayton, Gardnerville, all over the place. MOO, MOO, MOO.

I resent all that this has made me feel. And now I'm spending $$$ on upgrading security, hoarding pepper spray all over, looking at putting window bars and security doors and other visible deterrents up. I hate him for making me scrutinize every hispanic face I am not familiar with in the neighborhood For making me feel terrified to have the lawn service back in a a month or two. I just hate this.

Before this, I was far more worried about identity theft and phishing scams....

 

[pandamonium]

It really did bring crime INTO our homes more than usual. Obviously, crime has been on the rise, but I have never once been afraid IN my own home until I heard about this perp. Not once! He has changed the way I look at things and I am definitely more alert now. We expect crime in certain areas, certain times of day, etc. I never thought twice about locking my door just to check the mail or go outside for a minute or to double check and scan the yard before letting our dogs out. Now I do. I also am looking into additional security measures. I have 3 large dogs. I always hoped (and still do) that they are a deterrent. These poor victims also had dogs and look what happened so it makes you think and wonder . . .I don't know. It's sad.

I agree with the resentment. Even though I wasn't personally or directly attacked or affected, he changed my security, my safety, my point of view. Maybe I was lucky or naive (or both) in the past but that has all changed. It truly stinks to feel unsafe in your own home. I am SOOOO thankful he was an idiot and they caught him quickly. I honestly cannot imagine living in fear indefinitely the way we did during the days he was loose. I really cannot. And, I know what I feel is so so minor compared to the families of the victims. I cannot even imagine what they are all going thru. I just can't. He got away with stealing--why kill them? I don't get it, I'm sure their families don't either.

What he did went above and beyond your normal robbery motive--we still don't know exact motive or reasoning. I also don't truly know if he was working alone. Even if he was, I'm not so naive to believe there aren't more out there that are eager to take his place. Hopefully the odds are none of us never have to face it, but the reality is our area is growing and crime is growing with it. I'm seeing it everywhere

 

[Herat]

Here's some observations from me:

1. LE says he has been in the US illegally about or may be less than a year. He was reported as working for the David's starting in April 2018. So he started working doing lawn work not soon after he appears to have arrived

SO: How does a newly-arrived illegal teenage kid who doesn't speak English get work in three lawn service jobs 40 miles apart by himself? He doesn't. He was clearly part of a lawn service crew - or recommended by someone else already doing work for these people: Cleaning houses? Washing windows? Whatever. SOMEONE else got him these jobs and LOANED him a car to continue to do them free-lance. Conveniently enough, his mother has two cars registered to her name and the same address in CC that he was living at. But there may be other friends or family members that got him the lawn service work.

Saying to myself ........ hmmm.

 

[Herat]

Lawn service jobs dry up in late Oct here and LE reported he last worked for the David's in Nov 2018.

So no more cash $$ coming in. What to do, what to do?

So he is burglarizing houses he has worked at or someone else has worked at. (Lots of stolen goods found in the Menlo St apt he lived at with at least his mother. A set of golf clubs belonging to a woman who lived in a mobile home park about 1.5 miles away was found in the apt). And it's easy work, just have to find places to pawn the stuff. As we've seen he can recoup about $600 a week with 3 burglaries

So he goes to the David's on Jan 3 and burglarizes their trailer which had fishing gear and some lawn service electrics, and there was a hunting bag...... Maybe he opened it on Jan 3 and realized it had ammo and a gun. Maybe he didn't take it Jan 3.

LE tells us he came back to the David's trailer AGAIN, likely Jan 4 and now takes the weapon.

GAMECHANGER
Now he has something to give him more confidence in his constant burglary. Now something happens that sets him apart from just a thief, but opens up something amoral in him.

 

[Shin Masamura]

Living in this area, these crimes have really upset a great many people. Stores sold out of pepper spray, gun counters couldn't get the background checks turned around fast enough. People were lined up at gun counters. All sorts of stuff has now boosted the self-protection business. Try getting an appointment for someone to install a security system !

I signed up for a CCW class to get license to carry a weapon. Not at all what I would have predicted I would be doing a year ago. The instructor highly recommended to me says he had 30 women sign up for his classes in ONE DAY. And he is booked 2 weeks out.....

So, the anxiety has been high but we have all learned some lessons from this.

All those that LE has recommended. Most of all LOCK YOUR DOORS. Reportedly he entered all the residences through unlocked doors, and he had been doing some lawn service work for all 3 locations. There is some other information out there that LE hasn't released or doesn't want to release at this point, but this was more than just a crime of random opportunity. All 3 of the locations had dogs. Was he familiar enough that the dogs didn't alarm on him?

He was able to size up his targets. And it was all for theft to pawn stuff. All inconsequential "stuff". All for pawn.

The following is MYOO, and the information comes from a very trusted friend who is heavily into security. Gangs operate like sales groups. Everyone has a quota. Like bring in $300 this week to stay in the group. LE had said he worked alone, OK, fine. I'll take them at their word for this. But I have lots of questions.

But this crime spree, that we know about, was happening with some terrifying regularity.... like every 3-4 days. As if he had a deadline to come up with $$$. And he was pawing stuff within 24 hours of the attacks and victim's murders. AND: He was apprehended about 4 days after the David's murder with the same gun in his car at night. Where was he going? Was he planning another murder/robbery? Stuff that makes you go.....hmmmm

LE says he wasnt known to them. He really only came to their attention after the murder of Connie Koontz, with an item stolen from a previous employer, Gerry David. MOO: I believe there is a pawn history on him a mile long, Reno, Carson City, Dayton, Gardnerville, all over the place. MOO, MOO, MOO.

I resent all that this has made me feel. And now I'm spending $$$ on upgrading security, hoarding pepper spray all over, looking at putting window bars and security doors and other visible deterrents up. I hate him for making me scrutinize every hispanic face I am not familiar with in the neighborhood For making me feel terrified to have the lawn service back in a a month or two. I just hate this.

Before this, I was far more worried about identity theft and phishing scams....

Im so sorry to hear this... I always before the immigration debate, regardless on what side you are on couldn't believe the UID (Unidentified bodies) in Pima county. Astronomical, and the forgotten faces along with the countless people struggling with protection on the southern states.. Im glad he was captured but im not sure what piece of mind that will give you all down there..

 

[Herat]

NOW, he decides to go to the Gardnerville area where he has worked, and brings the .22.

Enters Connie Koontz's garage through the wide open garage door. Connie Koontz suprises him. He's noticed her Apple Watch and maybe wants it bad enough to kill her to get it off of her. Unclear as to what happened to her little yappy dog and how her deaf mother missed all this. He searches through Connie's stuff and gets an assortment of silver jewelry and a Mac computer. Within 24 hours tries to pair the Apple Watch with his mother's phone. HMMMMM. Pawinng Connie's jewelry the next day only gets him $33.

Back to the Ranchos to Sophia Renken's house. Enters through the always closed gate, maybe opens the dog run door to let the dog out? enters her home through her unlocked back door. Sophia is surprised in her hallway and he shoots her once but she flees to her bedroom, where he shoots her 3 more times, in the head. He's overkilled her and is shocked and panicked enough to flee without stealing anything. This disclosure by LE makes me think that he really isn't experienced with guns.

 

[Herat]

Still needs more money and goes back to the David's 4 days later.

Surprises them at 6 am as they are getting up. She is killed first, he is killed getting dressed in the bedroom. Has all the time in the world to rifle through their drawers, jewelry chest.

BUT: He decides to steal the guns. 11 of them. Too many to carry out in his arms or in a bag. This is another HUGE elevation in his crime profile.

Back to CC within a day to pawn stuff and gets more for the much more obvious Elk's ring and some other stuff.

GUNS: So now what does he do with 11 guns? A mix of ordinary shotguns and hunting rifles of relatively low value or signficance. Except for one: Cherry's Inc. GSO NC 7.62x39 with bayonet. It's an older gun that was cheap and easy to buy about 15 years ago. It looks like an AK-47, but it is not an automatic weapon. It's not really any more dangerous than the others, but it's a gun that would give him some prestige in his circle of friends........

And now he is driving around in his mother's car with a loaded stolen weapon. He was apprehended about 4:30 pm on Saturday Jan 19. He wasn't going in the direction of the pawn shop he had used before. He wasn't near any grocery stores. We don't know for sure where he was going in the early evening dark with the loaded gun.... maybe another robbery, the timing was about right for another attack. We don't actually know if he had anything else in that car; LE hasn't mentioned it.


BUT, He decides to hide the other 11 shotguns and rifles by burying them in a slightly remote area of east Carson City. It's a road that is access to hiking, and motorcycle riding. There are homes on the street. It has a beautiful view of the Carson River, the fields, the Sierras. It's a turn off of the main street, but not a very concealed place. Do you know how much space 11 guns like this take? It's reported they were buried 25-30 inches deep. Honestly, it's like digging a hole the size of a grave. Did he have help?

Why did he bury them? BECAUSE HE KNOWS it's highly illegal for him to have them in his possession. Or in the possession of his mother's house. If these were found with the other stolen property at the Menlo St apt, his mother and any other adults in the place might be in custody right now, looking at federal firearms charges. SOMEONE has told him this.

SOMEONE knows far more about him and his crimes than LE has told us.

It is my strongest request that LE will be enforcing all applicable penalties to anyone who is associated with his crimes or concealment of evidence.

 

[Herat]

Yes, he will stay in a US jail likely forever with all of the charges pending against him. They are still deciding whether or not to pursue the death penalty. I don't believe he can be deported until he has served his time so that's not likely to ever happen from what I've heard.

He will go to a US PRISON. Most likely Ely State Prison which is Nevada's men's maximum prison.

He will be in custody of the State of Nevada until his prison sentence(s) are served. Then he will be remanded to the custody of ICE for them to serve the deportation order.

 

[Herat]

And after thinking a bit.

WE HAD REASON TO WORRY

He had no problem with murder, multiple shots, killing two older people just waking up who trusted him and no doubt were kind to him. He had no problem murdering a woman living in a modest home for a $33 worth of jewelry, a watch, and a computer. He had no problem taking 11 more guns.

MOO: He would have attempted another murder / robbery if not apprehended by Carson City Sheriff's Office.

Someone in Northern Nevada literally owes their life to CCSO right now. Thank goodness for their decisiveness.

And yes. We have lost a huge deal of innocence and trust.

 

[mickey2942]

So tragic. A great loss to the community.

Glad he was caught. And wish that this type of violence wouldn't continue...no doubt there will be another thread or two in less than a week. Tragic.