California Man Confesses to Murder, Leads Police to Two Bodies
Authorities fear a possible serial killing spree after a man surrendered to police and directed them to victims in San Jose.
A 28-year-old California man, identified as Marcelino Castro, has been arrested on suspicion of murder after he approached a San Jose police officer and confessed to killing someone. The confession led investigators to the bodies of two men discovered in separate locations along the Guadalupe River corridor, prompting concerns of a potential serial killing spree.
Castro allegedly told police that the first killing occurred around September 13. He claimed he and a man he knew went to smoke methamphetamine near Tamien Station. According to authorities, Castro then attacked the acquaintance without provocation, strangled him, and slit his throat before burying the body in a shallow grave near the Guadalupe River.
During questioning, Castro provided details about a second killing, directing detectives to the area of Autumn Parkway and Coleman Avenue. There, investigators found another deceased man. Castro reportedly told police he lured this second victim to the Guadalupe River Trail, north of Coleman Avenue, under the pretense of smoking. He is accused of then strangling the man, striking him with a rock, and concealing the body in tall grass within a red tent. This second death is believed to have occurred between September 15 and 16.
The identities of both victims remain unknown. Prosecutors noted that while the areas where the bodies were found are frequented by homeless individuals, the victims do not appear to have a clear connection to each other or to Castro, beyond the alleged lure to the locations.
"It appears that this man may have just had a compulsion to kill and he started with someone he knew and then progressed to a random stranger," said Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Michael Gadeberg. "Although there’s only two victims it looks like the start of a possible serial killer case and I’m grateful he turned himself in before he continued."
Castro has been booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on two murder charges. These cases are being investigated as San Jose’s 20th and 21st homicides of the year. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding both killings and Castro's alleged motive.