A Florida man facing murder charges for the death of his wife’s parents allegedly filmed their dead bodies, according to his spouse.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Guillermo Silva, 57, is currently behind bars and accused of committing two murders and one assault inside the family’s home in Palm Beach County early this month.
Upon his arrest, the defendant claimed to have no recollection of the violent events that transpired there, according to the arrest affidavit.
In a bizarre twist, his wife, Gabriela Lagos – who who was out of town at the time of the incident – says that Silva offered to show her video evidence of the aftermath of the killing spree inside their home once she returned.
“He said, ‘turn the camera on, turn the camera on, I want to show you something,'” Lagos recently told West Palm Beach CBS affiliate WPEC. “He recorded videos for me, to see my parents dead. I can’t believe it. He’s a monster, that he can do that to two older people.”
The grieving daughter of the deceased insisted she did not watch the footage.
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrived during the mid-morning hours on July 2, 2022 in response to a domestic violence call described as an “armed domestic dispute.”
Initially scarce on details, the victims were listed numerically and not identified by name. Silva, law enforcement said, was being held down by the surviving assault victim, Lagos’ eldest son. That son, the mother told WPEC, arrived at the house the night before “to drop money off for her parents” and made the awful discovery of two deceased bodies.
According to the PBCSO, the elderly man identified as Victim #1 was found lying on his back in the living room with “severe blunt force trauma to his face.”
“A deceased female, Victim #2, was located in the back bedroom, later determined to be Silva’s, positioned on the bed nude on her knees with severe blunt force trauma on her torso, arms, and face,” the affidavit says. “Additionally, a laceration was observed on the back of Victim #2.”
Lagos told WPEC that those two deceased victims are her 80-year-old father and 79-year-old mother. The couple had reportedly just celebrated their 65th year as a couple.
“They have a beautiful family,” Lagos told the TV station. “Many grandchildren. Many great grandchildren.”
“They took him like a son,” she continued while speaking of the defendant. “They gave him everything. I don’t know why he did that. There’s no explanation.”
Upon entering the home, the third victim was allegedly approached by Silva with a knife. The defendant then allegedly threatened to kill his wife’s son but was overpowered and pinned down until authorities arrived.
“As Victim #3 held Silva down, Silva made several spontaneous utterances stating, ‘Please forgive me They’re not there I killed them They’re dead,’ and also pleaded, ‘Kill me!'” the affidavit goes on.
At the time of the killings, a minor boy was also in the residence. That boy is reportedly one of Lagos’ four adopted grandchildren. He is said to be autistic and non-verbal.
Lagos is now struggling with the knowledge of the brutal violence, her husband’s alleged entreaty to view the gore, and for material necessities as well because she no longer has access to the house. The locks have since been changed on the residence after the family cleaned up the scene of the crime.
“I’m in a really bad dream,” she told WPEC. “A nightmare. I can’t wake up.”
[image via Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office]
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