On Sunday, March 13, 2016, 24-year-old Hugo Hernandez, a Hispanic man who had recently moved to Ottumwa from the Storm Lake area, was fatally shot in the basement of a residence a few miles east of Ottumwa, Iowa. Hernandez had been at a gathering with acquaintances where methamphetamine and marijuana were used into the early morning hours. The gathering took place at the home of Terry Baker and Kinda Short.

After the shooting, Davila reportedly spoke of cleaning up and disposing of the body; Kinda Short fled to her brother’s house and called law enforcement. Deputies found Hernandez dead and took Davila into custody.

Davila was charged with first-degree murder two days later. He wrote a letter to authorities mentioning various issues with Hernandez, including overdue rent, and later said he had snapped. A jury later convicted Davila of second-degree murder and imposed a sentence not to exceed fifty years.

Did anyone in the area know Hugo or have information about tensions between him and his roommate leading up to March 13, 2016?