A Honduran national, who had previously been deported from the U.S. twice, was arrested and charged with two separate murders in Nashville last week. The suspect, Kevin Castro-Garcia, 31, was charged with the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Elmer Nahum Miranda-Martinez, whose badly burned body was discovered in a torched car on September 27. Police believe that Miranda-Martinez was shot and killed before his body was placed in the trunk of the car, which was later set on fire in a wooded area on Franklin Limestone Road.
In a shocking turn of events, Castro-Garcia was also charged with a second murder and abuse of a corpse after the decomposing body of 26-year-old Brandon Rivas-Noriega was found in the trunk of a different car off Rural Hill Road. Rivas-Noriega had been reported missing by his mother on October 5, and his mother stated that she had last seen him driving her 2015 Ford Focus just two days earlier.
Detectives discovered that Rivas-Noriega would frequently visit a residence in Nashville’s Antioch neighborhood. During a search of the residence, investigators found the owner’s manual for a Ford Focus, Rivas-Noriega’s driver’s license, and paperwork for property on Rural Hill Road. Subsequently, police found a Ford Focus parked behind an abandoned trailer on the Rural Hill Road property, and the decomposing remains of Rivas-Noriega were discovered inside the trunk. An autopsy confirmed that the victim had died from multiple gunshot wounds, and it was noted that several tattoos had been cut out from his body.
Kevin Castro-Garcia, a native of Honduras, is currently being held on a $1.01 million bond. It has been revealed that he was previously deported from the U.S. in 2010 and 2018. The motive for the shootings remains under investigation by the Nashville Metropolitan Police.
This disturbing case highlights the tragic consequences of violent crimes committed by individuals who have re-entered the United States after being deported. The authorities are working diligently to uncover the full details of these murders and to ensure that justice is served for the victims and their families.
