A young family's reunion in Guatemala ended in tragedy weeks after it began. Nixon Giovanni Pérez Paz, 43, and his wife, Glendy Marisol González de la Cruz, 25, were found fatally shot in a sugarcane field outside the city of Retalhuleu in southwestern Guatemala. Their 1-year-old daughter was discovered alive beside them.

The couple had most recently lived in Overland, Missouri, before Pérez Paz was deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last year.

What Investigators Found At The Scene

According to Guatemalan police, both Pérez Paz and González de la Cruz were found with their hands bound behind their backs. Pérez Paz appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound to the neck, while González de la Cruz had been shot in the head, based on information from Guatemalan authorities. Investigators also recovered shell casings, a shoe, and a motorcycle at the scene.

Guatemala's Public Ministry confirmed the couple's three children have since been placed in the care of extended family members. Prosecutors are actively investigating the killings, though no suspect or motive has been publicly identified so far.

A Reunion Cut Short

The deaths came just weeks after González de la Cruz made the difficult decision to return to Guatemala with the couple's three daughters, hoping to reunite the family after her husband's deportation.

Pérez Paz and his brother, Rolando Pérez Paz, were stopped by ICE agents while driving to work last year. An ICE spokesperson confirmed that agents detained Pérez Paz for being unlawfully present in the country. Following his deportation, González de la Cruz initially remained in Missouri with the children before ultimately choosing to relocate the family back to Guatemala to be with him again.

Family Grieves What Could Have Been

Rolando Pérez Paz spoke about the loss of his brother and sister-in-law in an interview with St. Louis Public Radio. "I felt that they took the thing I wanted most," he said. "I felt a huge pain because it was my brother, my sister-in-law, people that wanted to work, to fight."

He also placed direct blame on U.S. immigration authorities for the chain of events that led to the deaths. "If immigration hadn't picked up my brother, my sister-in-law would still be alive, and the children wouldn't be going through this sorrow," he said. "Unfortunately, immigration, the [U.S.] government, doesn't see that. It makes no difference to them."

Local Officials Say They Weren't Informed

Overland Mayor Marty Little said he first learned about the couple's deaths through news reports. "I didn't learn about this until I saw some of the news reports because it spread pretty quickly once the word got out," Little said. "So we just had to do some research and know exactly what our involvement was [and] what the situation was."

Asked what communication, if any, city officials had received from ICE or the Department of Homeland Security regarding the operation that led to Pérez Paz's arrest, Little said none. "In these situations, again, to the best of our knowledge, we were not notified whatsoever before, during or after," he said.

Speaking more broadly about accountability in local policing compared to federal immigration enforcement, Little said, "I think our policing depends on us, and we have accountability. If mistakes are made, then they're dealt with. Here, I don't feel that's happening."

A Community Prepares To Remember Them

A candlelight vigil honoring Pérez Paz and González de la Cruz is scheduled for 6 p.m. on August 2, outside Overland City Hall, giving the community a chance to grieve together and remember the couple.

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