Man faces capital murder charge in connection with 2023 homicide investigation
AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin man was arrested March 14 and charged in connection with a homicide investigation from December 2023, according to Travis County court documents filed Monday.
An arrest affidavit showed 21-year-old Johnathan Matthew Silguero faced one count of capital murder by terror threat.
KXAN searched for attorney information for Silguero, but none was found. This story will be updated if an attorney is later listed and KXAN receives a statement.
On Dec. 26, officers with the Austin Police Department responded to a call regarding a man found beaten and bloody in an alleyway in the 1700 block of West Braker Lane.
The man, later identified as Hector Diaz-Esparza, was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy was performed, and it was determined his cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.
At the scene, investigators found a cell phone belonging to Diaz-Esparza. A digital forensic examination of the phone showed messages between Silguero and Diaz-Esparza.
Court documents said law enforcement officials used the messages sent from Silguero to Diaz-Esparza and surveillance camera footage to identify Silguero as a suspect in the investigation.
According to the affidavit, Diaz-Esparza was meeting with Silguero to purchase a firearm for $400.
According to a search warrant, law enforcement officials requested to search a residence where Silguero lived. Officials were searching for items to show ownership, specific stolen property, suspect clothing, blood evidence, trace forensics, electronically stored data, cell phones and weapons, including blunt objects and firearms.
As of Thursday, Travis County jail records showed no bond set for Silguero.