A father and daughter were found shot to death inside their work van hours after telling family they planned to buy a PlayStation 5. More than five months later, an 18-year-old was arrested and charged with capital murder in their deaths.
On March 2, 2026, at around 7 a.m., deputies responded to a report of an abandoned vehicle along River Road outside Sardis in Panola County, Mississippi. Upon arrival, they found a father and daughter inside suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
The victims were identified as 41-year-old Victor Gonzalez and his 19-year-old daughter, Serenity Gonzalez.
Investigators said the double homicide may have occurred sometime during the previous night, though the exact timeline was not immediately confirmed.
Victor’s son, Jessie Waterman, said his father and sister were electricians and had been working earlier that day.
According to Waterman, the pair planned to get something to eat before meeting someone to purchase a PlayStation 5 through Facebook Marketplace. He said he did not know who they were supposed to meet or why they ended up on River Road.
Family members previously said Victor and Serenity were traveling in a white work van containing their equipment.
Waterman said investigators told a family member that tire tracks at the scene may have indicated the van was attempting to flee. He also said the vehicle had mud along its sides that was not normally there.
For months, authorities did not publicly identify a suspect or disclose what they believed led to the killings.
During the investigation, deputies said they developed information that led them to 18-year-old Charles Willie Lark IV and obtained a warrant for his arrest.
On August 13, 2026, Lark was arrested and charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths of Victor and Serenity.
Investigators said the case remains active and additional arrests may be made.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed what allegedly led to the shootings or whether the killings have been confirmed to be connected to the planned Facebook Marketplace purchase.
