Two Texas men hit with murder-for-hire charge after trying to make shooting look like an act of road rage.
Suspects in cuffs over murder-for-hire charge
A 40-year-old man driving his work vehicle along Grand Parkway became the target of gunfire by an unidentified shooter on Feb. 4.
Multiple bullets hit the driver, leaving him severely injured, though he survived and is currently in the hospital.
Initial investigations theorized that it was a road rage incident. However, the work vehicle was kitted out with numerous cameras that captured video evidence at multiple angles, eventually leading to the arrest two suspects.
Ricardo Obando, aged 49, and his stepson Matthew Rosas, 24, were taken into custody on February 15 and charged with attempted capital murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Prosecutors presented in court that Obando was allegedly employed to carry out the attack on the victim, while Rosas accepted $300 in exchange for driving Obando away from the scene.
Prosecutors further revealed that Rosas admitted his involvement, including a directive to shadow the victim “for several days” to learn his daily habits.
Investigations also found that Rosas, upon his arrest, had “$220 and two new $100 bills.” Authorities stated, “He said the $220 was what remained of the proceeds of the shooting.”
During a subsequent court hearing, Obando was told not to communicate with Rosas. However, Obando interrupted, claiming that Rosas was his “son,” prompting the judge to lift the no-contact order upon discovering their familial relationship.
Father and stepson behind bars on murder-for-hire charge
Obando, with a history of prior felony convictions, was detained in Harris County Jail on bonds of $20,000 for the attempted capital murder charge and $250,000 for the aggravated assault charge.
Rosas, who was also facing drug possession charges, was held in custody on a $100,000 bond.
Rosas is scheduled to appear in court on March 26, while Obando had his initial hearing on February 18 for attempted capital murder and will appear in front of a judge on March 3 for the aggravated assault allegation.
Meanwhile, a body discovered on Louisiana’s Huey P. Long Bridge revealed a grisly crime involving a mother, her teenage son, and her own mother.
Family arrested for trying to cover-up murder
Coshelia Conley, aged 36, was charged alongside her 17-year-old son, Da’Sean Conley, and her 55-year-old mother, Cathy Conley, after allegedly attempting to dump the body of her boyfriend, Gerard Nicholas Richard, off the bridge.
According to deputies, Da’Sean fatally shot Richard during an argument, and the family collaborated to cover up the murder by wrapping his body in a blanket and attaching a kettlebell in an attempted disposal over the bridge railing.
The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office detailed the events following the incident in an affidavit.
Per witness accounts, the confrontation between Da’Sean and Richard began inside the Conley apartment.
They reported hearing Richard “punched and beaten” by Da’Sean before their fight headed out to the parking lot.
The situation escalated further when the argument moved into a Chevrolet Tahoe, where one witness heard “a single gunshot.”
Afterward, the family allegedly worked together to clean the crime scene and dispose of Richard’s remains.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed the family removing “a trash bag believed to contain bloodied clothing items” from Conley’s apartment approximately 30 minutes before Richard’s mutilated body was discovered.
Investigators visiting the apartment found bloodstains and bleach, with tests indicating it had been attempted to be cleaned of evidence.
Family seen attempting to dump boyfriend’s body
Witnesses claimed they saw two vehicles at the summit of the bridge attempting to discard Richard’s body.
According to police, the individuals dropped the deceased man onto the bridge itself before fleeing, leaving his body to be run over by passing traffic.
Officials noted blood streaks on the bridge’s rail, indicating an attempt to throw the body off the bridge, though unsuccessfully.
Security footage reportedly captured the Tahoe involved in the incident driving in tandem with a 2011 GMC 1500 pickup truck, which had a red gas can in its bed.
The GMC pickup was later driven to a meeting with detectives by Coshelia Conley, drawing investigators’ attention due to the red gas can in its rear.
Coshelia Conley now faces charges of accessory after the fact to second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, while Da’Sean Conley has been charged with second-degree murder and obstruction.
Cathy Conley was booked on charges of obstruction and being a principal to second-degree murder.
