Mario Monroy Hughes, 31, was found shot to death in his Moore Haven, Florida, home on January 31, 2014. Born July 12, 1982, in Ahuachapán, El Salvador, he grew up in Moore Haven and graduated from Moore Haven High School in 2000. He served in the United States Army in the Iraqi Freedom War and was an active member of the Army Reserves at the time of his death.

Mario was a father to three children, Dominic, Alana, and Blade, and was described as much loved by his family and community. Authorities tied his killing to his role as a planned prosecution witness: he had been scheduled to testify against 34-year-old Artavistus Lyndrel Ware in a drug case, and investigators say Ware arranged Mario’s murder to prevent that testimony.

The killing drew an FDLE investigation and later led to charges against Ware. What details about motive, planning, or others involved remain unclear to the public; anyone with information about Mario or his death is asked to come forward.