When authorities discovered Eddie Leal shot dead in his car in broad daylight, the city of San Jacinto, California, was terrified.
When the up-and-coming boxer failed to show up at his home on May 31, 2011, his family became concerned and told police of his missing.
‘Web of Lies: The Honeytrap,’ a documentary on Investigation Discovery, examines the brutal murder and the subsequent investigation of a fatal catfish attempt.
If you’re intrigued by this case and want to know where the murderer is right now, we’ve got you covered.
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How Did Boxer Eddie Leal Die?
Eddie Leal was a promising boxer with a few professional fights under his belt. Eddie was not only devoted to his family, but he was also active in his neighbourhood, running a boxing training programme that helped keep kids off the streets and out of trouble.
He was also noted for training police men and firefighters in the art of boxing and for being a kind-hearted person.
When Eddie failed to show up at his San Jacinto home on May 31, 2011, concerned family members began looking for him and even alerted authorities. While searching the area, the cops discovered Eddie’s Toyota Corolla, which had collided with another vehicle on Roanoke Street.
Eddie’s body was discovered in the driver’s seat, and a first investigation revealed that the victim had multiple bullet wounds. An autopsy later revealed that the gunshot wounds were the cause of death, and officials ruled the death a homicide.
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Who Was The Killer Of Eddie Leal?
Eddie’s family said on the episode that when he got off his computer and walked out of the house on May 30, he was in a good mood.
The cops quickly went to his computer and discovered that he had been speaking with a female named Rebecca Santhiago on Facebook.
Eddie and Rebecca appeared to be good friends, and she had even invited Eddie to meet her around the time of his death.
Cops followed Rebecca’s profile to the IP address where it was registered, believing it to be a solid lead, and discovered that the address connected to a house less than 100 metres from the murder site.
The house, however, belonged to the Guzmans, and no one named Rebecca Santhiago lived there.
While the Guzmans were being questioned at the sheriff’s office, officers discovered a computer in Manuel Edmundo Guzman’s room and began studying it right away.
Using a ram dump on the still-running laptop, computer forensic experts discovered concrete evidence that the messages Eddie received from Rebecca’s profile were transmitted from Manuel’s laptop.
Manuel, on the other hand, swore that no one else used his computer, albeit denying any knowledge of a bogus profile.
The police did not have enough evidence to indict Manuel at the time, but additional investigation revealed how Manuel inserted himself as a figure in Rebecca’s texts by informing her that her brother might be waiting at the meeting location.
The final nail in the coffin, according to the show, came when investigators discovered a witness who said Manuel confessed to him about a fake Facebook profile under the name of Rebecca Santhiago.
As a result, officials detained Manuel Guzman and charged him with murder based on a witness account and computer forensic evidence.
What Has Happened to Manuel Guzman? And Where Is He Now?
Manuel Guzman was 17 at the time, which protected him from the death penalty, but the jury found him guilty of murder in the end.
Manuel was sentenced to life in jail without the chance of parole in 2013, according to sources, although his prison records show that he will be eligible for parole in 2036.
Manuel, however, remains imprisoned at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo County, California.
