El Mariachi, also known as Aberzai Lopez-Arellano and other aliases, was a man who was stabbed to death following an argument on New Year's Day 2008. His murder was quickly solved, but he was never identified.
Case[]
El Mariachi, who also used the name Cowboy, was a mariachi singer in Lynchburg, Virginia, who often frequented Mario's Pizza on Bedford Avenue. His singing was described as being similar to that of world-renowned mariachi singer Vincente Fernandez. Many wanted to be friends with El Mariachi so he could visit their homes and sing for them. El Mariachi had been staying in a Lynchburg residence and working odd jobs in the city. When police searched his residence, they found many makeshift identification documents.
On December 31, 2007, El Mariachi attended a New Year's Eve party at the home of 29-year-old Adolfo Valentin-Morales. Moments after a photograph of El Mariachi was taken, he and Adolfo Valentin-Morales, along with two of Valentin-Morales's friends, would get into an argument. The four men ended up on Valentin-Morales's porch, where El Mariachi cut one of the three men. In retaliation, Valentin-Morales went into his home, grabbed a kitchen knife, and stabbed El Mariachi in the heart, killing him instantly. His body was noticed hours later. Valentin-Morales was charged with El Mariachi's murder. However, he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was likely released in September 2016, according to an article.
Picture of El Mariachi taken at an unknown date.
The investigation revealed that El Mariachi had also used the aliases Pedro Cruz-Lopez and Versai Lopez-Arellano. El Mariachi may have also been a 28-year-old man from Pueblo, Mexico, with a cousin living in Washington state and whose family was involved in the iron ore drilling business.
Characteristics[]
- Black hair.
- Brown eyes.
- Irregular scars on upper and lower extremities, abdomen and hip.
Clothing and accessories[]
- Blue jeans.
- Belt with large, Western styled buckle with eagle design.
- Black button-up shirt.
- Two pairs of socks.
- Underwear.
- White leather boots with cowboy design on sides.