In a tragic turn of events on August 26, 2020, Maria Lopez, a 46-year-old Caucasian female, was found deceased in her Nashville, Tennessee, apartment on Murfreesboro Pike. The devastating discovery was made by the 14-year-old daughter of her boyfriend, Julio Escalon Ruiz. The teenager reported hearing gunshots and a scream before finding both her father and Lopez with gunshot wounds in a back bedroom.
Hermitage Precinct detectives investigating the case determined that the incident was a
murder-suicide. It was concluded that 39-year-old Julio Escalon Ruiz shot Maria Lopez multiple times before turning the gun on himself. Ruiz was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, and a handgun was recovered at the scene. The investigation revealed a troubled history between the couple. At the time of the fatal incident, Ruiz was out on a $1,500 bond for a domestic assault charge involving Lopez that had occurred on July 25, 2020. In that previous incident, an argument between the two had turned physical, and Ruiz admitted to slapping Lopez's calf.
Following the discovery of the bodies, law enforcement officials located the couple deceased in the bedroom. The case was closed as a murder-suicide, with Ruiz identified as the sole perpetrator. Due to the death of the suspect, no arrests were made, and the investigation did not proceed to trial or conviction.
