In a tragic turn of events on a Saturday afternoon, 34-year-old Nayeli Fernandez-Diaz, a Hispanic female, lost her life in what authorities have described as a double murder-suicide in Cartersville, Georgia. The incident, which took place on June 1, 2019, also resulted in the death of 42-year-old Matthew McArthur. Friends and family remember Fernandez-Diaz and McArthur as an outstanding couple with a wonderful life ahead of them, a life that was tragically cut short.
The investigation
into the deaths quickly identified Jose Flores-Neve, 37, as the person responsible for the killings. Flores-Neve was the estranged husband of Nayeli Fernandez-Diaz; the couple had reportedly been separated since the previous year. Evidence and eyewitness accounts indicate that on the day of the incident, Flores-Neve followed Fernandez-Diaz and McArthur in his vehicle as they drove onto a dead-end road.
At the end of Gray Road, off of Old Rudy York Road, Flores-Neve confronted the pair, armed with both a rifle and a pistol. It was there that he opened fire, shooting Fernandez-Diaz and McArthur multiple times. After fatally wounding them, Flores-Neve then turned the gun on himself, taking his own life at the scene. Investigators found numerous shell casings at the location, and a neighbor reported hearing approximately 20 gunshots.
In the wake of the tragedy, a fundraiser was organized to help send Nayeli Fernandez-Diaz's body back to her family in Mexico. The community response was one of heartbreak, with many expressing their sorrow for the unforeseen and devastating loss of two lives, and the profound impact it had on their families.
