Ricardo Guzman Jr., a 24-year-old man from Edinburg, Texas, was a loving husband and devoted father. He and his wife, Desiree Monique Luna, had three children: Ricardo Guzman III, Raiden Xavier Guzman, and Amaya Rosalie Guzman. He was also survived by his parents, Ricardo and Esmeralda Guzman, and his four siblings, Fidel Abrego, Rosalva Guzman Puente, Frances Marie Guzman, and Angela Elaine Guzman.
In the early morning hours of October 25, 2022, tragedy struck the Guzman family. At approximately 2:32 a.m., Hidalgo County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 2700 block of Alberta Road in rural Edinburg for a welfare check. A witness at the scene reported hearing gunshots come from inside the home. According to the witness, Ricardo then walked outside and collapsed in the driveway. When deputies arrived, they found him lying on the driveway with gunshot wounds.
Emergency medical services were called, but Ricardo was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation quickly identified a suspect, 39-year-old Edinburg resident Alphie Howard Slough, who had fled the area after the shooting. Two days later, in the early hours of October 27, Slough contacted authorities to inform them he wanted to surrender. Deputies met him at a Stripes convenience store in the nearby city of San Juan, where he was taken into custody without incident. Slough was subsequently charged with murder.
Alphie Howard Slough was held at the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center for over three years as his case proceeded through the legal system. On May 8, 2026, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. A judge sentenced Slough to four years in prison. He was given credit for the three and a half years he had already been in custody since his arrest. With the plea and sentencing in May 2026, the case is now closed.
