An Alabama woman has been arrested for allegedly shooting and dismembering her partner with a chainsaw in the presence of their four-year-old child.
Joselina Elizabeth Lopez, 26, has been charged intentional murder of Benito Morales Guzman, 41, after authorities found his ‘dismembered and decapitated’ body at a house in Slocomb on August 27.
The search for Guzman began when his boss reported him missing last week, prompting authorities to visit his home he shared with Lopez.
On arrival, deputies noticed a ‘strong odor of decomposition’ – which they discovered was emitting from a Toyota Corolla filled with garbage bags nearby.
Joselina Elizabeth Lopez, 26, has been charged intentional murder of Benito Morales Guzman, 41, after authorities found his ‘dismembered and decapitated’ body at a house in Slocomb on August 27
As cops began searching, they found ‘a body believed to be that of Benita Morales Guzman, mutilated into multiple pieces’, according to AL.com.
Detectives soon also discovered that the accused recently bought four electric chain saws from Lowe’s and returned one.
‘The chainsaw found in the vehicle still had human flesh on it,’ arrest records read.
A gun was found in the house out of which five of the six cartridges were fired from the revolver. Two bullets were removed from Guzman’s body.
As of now, SBI investigators believe that the accused shot Guzman five times, dismembered his body in nearly 15 pieces using a chainsaw and then stuffed him in trash bags to put in the trunk and back seat of the car.
SBI investigators believe that the accused shot Guzman five times, dismembered his body in 10-15 pieces using a chainsaw and then stuffed him in in trash bags to put in the trunk and back seat of the car
The accused is currently being kept at the Geneva County Jail, where she reportedly told a relative that ‘I should have left earlier’ during a phone conversation
Prosecutors and investigators suspect that their autistic child was present during the alleged killing.
Investigations also believe that the accused was planning to flee to Mexico – once they discovered a car seat, a packed diaper bag, the child’s birth certificate and Lopez’s passport in another car.
‘Further, blood was found on the box of baby formula in the diaper bag,’ court records said.
The accused is currently being kept at the Geneva County Jail, where she reportedly told a relative that ‘I should have left earlier’ during a phone conversation.
During a bond hearing, she told the judge that she was acting out of self defense after she and her family were ‘threatened after Guzman supposedly owed someone money for drugs,’ according to WDHN.
Lopez also told the court that the victim was attempting to isolate her from her family.
Investigations also believe that the accused allegedly was planning to flee to Mexico – once they discovered a car seat, a packed diaper bag, the child’s birth certificate and Lopez’s passport in another car
Jennifer Wilkerson, Guzman’s ex-wife said that Lopez’s claim was ‘unbelievable’ and that he would never try to distance her from her family.
‘I knew she was going to say something like that. It’s just unreal; it’s like she doesn’t care in the world about what happened.
To hear all of that what she did to him like that- it sickens me to my stomach. He didn’t deserve any of that. I mean, she already shot him five times. What else did she plan on doing here?
‘Benito would never do anything like that. He was not that type of person; he would avoid it if something happened. He wouldn’t argue with nobody.
‘He deserves justice, and I believe I’m the one to stand up for him because if anybody knows him, it’s me. I lived with him, and justice has to be served. He’s not here, so someone has to stand up for him,’ she said.
Lopez has her next court hearing scheduled for September 11.