Michigan athlete lured by Snapchat message before being shot, dumped in lake while still alive

Tiffany Valdez inactive vividly recalls proceeding what sounded similar gunfire earlier learning her beloved member had been killed.

In the aboriginal hours of June 7, 2018, Emilio Valdez near his mother's location and entered a Pontiac Grand Prix parked extracurricular a neighbor's house. Moments later, constabulary said helium was changeable wrong the vehicle. Investigators aboriginal determined the 20-year-old suffered gunshot wounds to the thorax and the backmost of the head.

The occurrence stated that Emilio was inactive live erstwhile helium was thrown into Osmun Lake.

GRIEVING MOMS DIG WITH ‘BARE HANDS’ TO UNEARTH THE DARK TRUTH BEHIND THEIR MISSING AND MURDERED CHILDREN

Emilio Valdez, a Pontiac, Michigan resident, was murdered connected June 7, 2018. He was 20 years old. (ID)

Valdez and her household appeared successful Investigation Discovery's existent transgression series, "Bodies successful the Water," which examines homicide investigations successful which waterways became transgression scenes. Each occurrence explores however investigators utilized forensic grounds to bring killers to justice.

"I heard the gunshots," Valdez told Fox News Digital. "I ran outside, and the car I had conscionable watched him get into was speeding distant with euphony playing loudly. When I past spoke to him, it was nighttime. He called maine to unfastened the doorway due to the fact that helium didn't person his key. He was coming location aft hanging retired with friends. He was going backmost retired to walk clip with friends."

Tiffany Valdez told Fox News Digital she heard gunshots ringing retired arsenic the car carrying her brother, Emilio Valdez, sped distant with euphony blaring from the speakers. (ID)

"We had been trying to get ahold of him each nighttime and each morning," she recalled. "We learned [on societal media] that a assemblage had been recovered successful Osmun Lake. We didn't privation to judge it was him. But past my sister and I had to place his body."

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Emilio grew up successful Pontiac, Michigan, successful a large, close-knit family. A prima athlete, helium was known for his easygoing quality and quality to marque friends wherever helium went.

"We were ever arrogant of him," said Valdez. "When helium was successful mediate school, determination was a lad successful his people who was being bullied due to the fact that his household didn’t person overmuch money, and helium didn’t person bully clothes. Emilio stuck up for him and took the shoes, brand-new Jordans, close disconnected his feet and gave them to the kid. I retrieve him coming location with nary shoes, but helium was truthful excited and grateful to assistance that kid."

"But that was my brother," Valdez continued. "He was benignant and truthful giving. He loved gathering caller people, and helium loved his family. Every day, helium woke up with a grin connected his face. He was spontaneous and fun. He was a bully person."

Emilio Valdez's lawsuit was the taxable of the premiere occurrence titled "The Deep End of Envy." Investigation Discovery's (ID) existent transgression bid "Bodies successful the Water" airs Tuesdays astatine 10:00 p.m. (ID)

Emilio seldom went agelong without posting to Snapchat. But connected the greeting helium disappeared, the dependable watercourse of updates stopped.

Valdez said that during the last months of his life, her member progressively gravitated toward a caller radical of friends. The occurrence described them arsenic a rougher assemblage than the longtime friends and teammates helium had traditionally surrounded himself with.

Investigators said Emilio was carrying a container of marijuana and a shoebox erstwhile helium near home.

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Emilio Valdez was described arsenic being progressive connected societal media, often chronicling his beingness connected Snapchat. (ID)

"We knew precise small astir this caller radical of friends until aft Emilio’s death," said Valdez. "And successful those aboriginal days, we had nary thought who would privation to bash this to our precious brother."

Brandon Whisnant was Emilio Valdez's adjacent friend. In "Bodies successful the Water," Whisnant said helium wasn't acquainted with Valdez's caller societal circle. (ID)

Emilio's bloody apparel were recovered by 2 fishermen adjacent a dock astatine Osmun Lake. Authorities said the covering appeared to incorporate a slug hole. According to the episode, investigators besides recovered a way of blood, tyre tracks and resistance marks nearby. A conveyance appeared to person struck respective benches.

Emilio's assemblage was aboriginal recovered from the lake. Evidence suggested helium had been dragged toward the water.

Retired Detective Dawn Mullins of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office spoke astir the aboriginal challenges of solving Emilio Valdez's case. (ID)

"We kept our religion that we would find retired who did this, but it was rough," said Valdez. "It took years to marque an arrest. Before then, it was hard knowing idiosyncratic had committed this horrific transgression and was inactive walking free. But we kept our religion that we would get answers. We ne'er stopped warring for Emilio."

Detective Kevin Thomas of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office was among those who investigated Emilio Valdez's murder. "The origin of decease was homicide, but the mode of decease was drowning arsenic a effect of a gunshot coiled to the head," helium said successful the episode. "For the household to perceive that helium was thrown successful the h2o portion inactive alive, that’s much suffering." (ID)

The occurrence revealed that a Grand Prix containing blood, a spent ammunition casing and Emilio's telephone was aboriginal recovered submerged a fewer miles away. It was reported stolen by Guadalupe Maria Davila-Rodriguez. She noted that her son, Angel Jose Alvarez, would get her vehicle. Police questioned Alvarez, who had a transgression background. He denied immoderate engagement successful Emilio's disappearance.

Valdez told Fox News Digital she had ne'er heard of Alvarez earlier investigators identified him arsenic a suspect.

Tiffany Valdez, Emilio Valdez's sister, spoke to Fox News Digital astir the past clip she saw her member alive. (ID)

For astir 4 years, the lawsuit remained unsolved. Then, successful 2022, a caller squad of detectives reopened the investigation. After reviewing Emilio's Snapchat enactment successful the hours earlier his death, investigators recovered a connection reading, "You comiin?!" that had been sent soon earlier helium near home. Detectives aboriginal linked the relationship to Alvarez.

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Phone records besides showed Alvarez contacted his member and parent aft Emilio's killing. Investigators said Alvarez's parent aboriginal reported the Grand Prix stolen aft receiving a telephone from her son.

Captain Sam Marzban, Oakland County Sheriff, was among those to revisit Emilio Valdez's case. "There was a Snapchat relationship that had been communicating with Emilio hours anterior to the homicide," helium revealed successful the episode. (ID)

After constructing a timeline, investigators concluded that Emilio had been lured to conscionable Alvarez soon earlier his disappearance. Phone records showed Alvarez making calls to his member and parent aft the killing. Detectives believed Alvarez called his member to prime him up from Osmun Lake, wherever Emilio's assemblage was aboriginal found, and past contacted his mother, asking her to study the Grand Prix helium had been driving arsenic stolen.

Alvarez, his member and his parent were arrested aboriginal that year.

"I broke down successful tears from gratitude," said Valdez. "It was specified a alleviation and a triumph for the family."

Sara Dickerson remembered a member who valued his household supra each else. (ID)

The occurrence suggested that, successful Emilio's last years, his popularity, quality and adjacent friendships with women whitethorn person fueled jealousy and resentment among immoderate of his peers.

"I judge [jealousy] was the lawsuit wholeheartedly," said Valdez. "I consciousness they were jealous of the information that Emilio was hanging retired with each the girls. Emilio grew up with 5 sisters, truthful helium knew however to dainty women. He knew however to respect women. He was susceptible of showing emotion to his pistillate friends connected a platonic level. And erstwhile my household and I saw Angel’s interrogation tape, helium tried to overgarment himself the representation of who Emilio really was."

Charity Montalbano was among respective of Emilio Valdez's sisters who spoke retired successful the series. (ID)

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Authorities person ne'er publically identified jealousy arsenic a motive, and prosecutors did not connection a definitive mentation for wherefore Emilio was targeted.

Melissa Fielder and Sara Dickerson, sisters of Emilio Valdez, beryllium unneurotic earlier their interview. Both recalled that Valdez shared particularly close, enduring friendships with the women successful his life. (ID)

Prosecutors presented a timeline supported by telephone records and conveyance grounds during the trial. A assemblage yet convicted Alvarez of second-degree execution successful June 2024. He was sentenced the pursuing period to 36½ to 80 years successful prison.

His brother, Juan Diego Hernandez, and mother, who were initially charged arsenic accessories aft the fact, aboriginal pleaded nary contention to reduced charges of lying to a constabulary serviceman during the homicide investigation. Hernandez received a six-day jailhouse sentence, portion Davila-Rodriguez was besides convicted connected the reduced charge.

The motive down Emilio's sidesplitting remains unclear.

Angel Jose Alvarez is 26 years aged and down bars. (Michigan Department of Corrections)

"Angel ne'er owned up to what helium did," said Valdez. "We inactive person that unfastened question of why, but we benignant of cognize why. We’re hopeful that 1 time Angel volition ain up to what helium did and hopefully crook his beingness around. But first, helium has to admit what helium did. For the family, the hardest portion is not truly surviving with unanswered questions but dealing with the information that my brother’s slayer won’t conscionable admit it. Just accidental what you did and beryllium sorry."

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Today, Valdez and her household anticipation their pursuit of justness volition animate different grieving families. But Emilio's communicative besides carries a warning.

Danielle Morgan spoke astir however her member Emilio Valdez was well-loved and cherished. (ID)

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"Be cautious who you telephone a friend," said Valdez.