A man from Texas has been arrested for allegedly killing his fiancé and making it appear as though she took her own life.
Ty Vaughn, 31, was charged with murder on March 7 in connection with the shooting death of 27-year-old Luis Banos, which occurred in January, as reported by the Baytown Police Department.
On January 14, Vaughn called 911 to report finding his fiancé dead from a gunshot wound at their apartment. Upon arrival, officers discovered Banos with a fatal gunshot wound and took Vaughn in for questioning.
Police claim that Vaughn’s statements during the investigation were inconsistent. They later concluded that Banos’s death was a homicide.
Court documents indicate that Vaughn was scheduled to appear in court on March 10, with his bond set at $500,000. It’s unclear whether he has pleaded to the charges, and there has been no comment from his attorney.
Further investigation revealed that Vaughn is accused of shooting Banos in the face with a rifle and then attempting to stage the scene to look like suicide. He allegedly looked up information online regarding the consequences for a “legal citizen” killing an “illegal immigrant” before the incident.
Additionally, it was discovered that Vaughn had searched questions like, “Can I kill an illegal human?” Initially, he told police that there had been an argument before he returned home to find Banos deceased. Later, he indicated that she “lacked legal status.”
Authorities believe Vaughn’s comments about Banos’s immigration status were meant to undermine her worth, as she was reportedly originally from Mexico.
