David Aguayo was 26 when he was killed in June 2022. Described by friends as a talented artist with a bright smile, he had been couch surfing at a friend’s apartment in Des Moines, Washington, at the time. On the morning of June 17, 2022, a dispute arose after the apartment owner, 28-year-old Kyle Michael McCullough of Kent, discovered his girlfriend was having an affair with Aguayo. McCullough texted Aguayo that he was lucky to be alive; later that day the roommate heard yelling and saw McCullough bent over Aguayo holding a knife.

The King County Medical Examiner determined Aguayo died of multiple stab and gunshot wounds, with particularly vicious stab wounds to his face, head, and genitalia. After the attack, McCullough cleaned the apartment floor and put Aguayo’s body inside a large plastic tote; the roommate said he helped dispose of the tote on the side of a secluded road near the Duwamish River in Skyway. Aguayo’s sister located the tote after the roommate confessed to her and called 911; deputies recovered the body and investigators executed a search warrant at the apartment, finding homicide evidence including a blood-stained rug.

McCullough was arrested June 22, 2022, and charged with second-degree murder. He later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a deadly weapon enhancement and was sentenced in February 2025. Does anyone have additional information about Aguayo’s life or the apartment where he was staying?