A 28-year-old man is in custody after voluntarily surrendering to authorities, confessing to two separate homicides, and guiding detectives to concealed bodies along the Guadalupe River.
Marcelino Castro turned himself in on Sept. 19 under unusual circumstances. Prosecutors reported that Castro initially attempted to surrender at the Santa Clara County Main Jail, where staff dismissed his statements. Undeterred, he proceeded to the San Jose Police Department, approached an officer, and repeated his confession in full.
Investigators promptly verified the accuracy of his statements.
Castro directed officers to two isolated locations along the riverbank, situated miles apart. The first victim was recovered from a shallow grave near Lelong Street and West Alma Avenue. The second victim was located more than two miles north along the Guadalupe River Trail, concealed within a red tent hidden amid dense brush.
According to police accounts, Castro lured both men to the river under the pretext of drug use. The first victim, an acquaintance, was strangled and had his throat cut on or about Sept. 13. Several days later, Castro allegedly targeted a complete stranger, strangling him and striking him with a rock. The identities of both victims remain undisclosed.
Investigators note that the abrupt and indiscriminate nature of the attacks has left authorities seeking explanations.
“I have never seen a case like this, where there is simply no apparent motive,” Deputy District Attorney Michael Gadeberg stated. “Where someone possesses this compulsion to kill, begins with a friend or someone they knew, and then advances to a total stranger.”
Given that the crimes occurred consecutively within a matter of days, prosecutors cautioned that the situation had the potential to escalate significantly.
“Although there are only two victims, this appears to be the beginning of a possible serial killer case, and I am grateful he turned himself in before continuing,” Gadeberg said.
These homicides represent San Jose’s 20th and 21st of the year. Castro remains held without bail as detectives review regional missing persons records to ascertain whether additional victims exist.
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