A mother and daughter shot and killed the daughter’s husband, burned his body in a barrel and spread his remains throughout the yard of their New Hope home in late June — this according to affidavits from the case obtained in Lowndes County Justice Court by The Dispatch.
Lydia Martinez, 57, and Christina Vasquez, 38, have both been charged with the murder of Christina’s husband, Manuel Vasquez.
Vasquez has not been seen since June 24. His bank records show no activity since that date, according to the affidavit. The remains found scattered in four piles in the back yard of his Windchase Drive home are presumed to be his, but Lowndes County authorities continue to wait for the official results from state Crime Lab in Jackson.
The affidavit also states that Lydia Martinez confessed to Vasquez’s murder.
“On July 22, 2015, Lydia Martinez, mother of Christina Martinez, confessed that she, along with Christina Martinez, shot and killed Manuel Vasquez then disposed of his body,” the affidavit states.
The affidavit, prepared by Lt. Tony Cooper, an investigator with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, was signed by a Justice Court judge on July 27. Lydia Martinez and Christina Vasquez had been in custody for five days at the time.
Timeline
According to the affidavit, Christina Martinez on July 13 reported her husband, Manuel Vasquez, missing. At the time, she said he had left on June 24 on a mission trip.
Manuel Vasquez’s phone records show no incoming calls or messages from his wife since June 24, according to the affidavit.
A friend of Vasquez’s named Paul Vega told The Dispatch that that same date — June 24 — he spoke with Vasquez for the final time.
The affidavit also states that Christina Martinez ordered new master bedroom carpet from Lowes, and that a neighbor witnessed Christina Martinez burning something in a barrel in late June, according to the affidavit.
Investigators also collected documents Manuel Vasquez left in Vega’s possession, including three titles to Vasquez’s cars. Authorities say Vasquez told Vega he did not approve of his wife’s lifestyle and intended to cut her off financially.
Justice court employees told The Dispatch Friday that a preliminary hearing date has yet to be set in the case.
The release of affidavits
The affidavits were obtained by The Dispatch from Lowndes County Justice Court on Friday. The Dispatch was denied access by Justice Court officials a week earlier. Officials at the time said they had been told not reveal documents by the district attorney’s office.
District Attorney Forrest Allgood told The Dispatch last week that there had been a miscommunication between his office and justice court and that he had never meant to deny access of public records.
Chuck Easley, a Columbus lawyer, filed a lawsuit against the county last week after being denied access to the same affidavits. Easley recently met with the suspects in the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center about representing them.
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