On November 9, 2020, 68-year-old Justin Zatovich was found dead in Midland, Texas. Zatovich, a white male, had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was discovered on the back porch of his residence at 500 block of South Mineola. The Midland Police Department was dispatched to the scene at around 6:10 p.m. after gunshots were heard near the residence earlier that morning at approximately 12:37 a.m.
Zatovich was pronounced dead at the scene, and his next of kin were notified.
The investigation into Zatovich's death revealed that he had been involved in a housing dispute with Samuel Moreno, a 53-year-old Hispanic male. Moreno, along with two other men, John Thomas Sepulveda, 42, and Brad Michael Beck, 38, were identified as suspects in the murder. According to evidence presented during Moreno's trial, the three men had pulled Zatovich out of his home, where he was shot and stabbed multiple times before being left to die. Home security video footage was used as crucial evidence in the trial.
John Sepulveda was arrested on November 10, 2020, and charged with the murder of Justin Zatovich. He was transported to the Midland County Detention Center, where he refused to give a statement. Sepulveda was later sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to his role in the murder in September 2021. An arrest warrant was issued for Brad Beck, who was located and taken into custody on November 12, 2020, in Roundrock, Texas. Beck is still awaiting trial.
Samuel Moreno was arrested on November 17, 2020, and charged with murder. During his trial, it was revealed that Moreno and Zatovich had been in the middle of a housing dispute. Moreno was found guilty by a Midland County jury after less than an hour of deliberations. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Moreno will have to serve at least 30 years of his sentence before he is eligible for parole. The investigation into Zatovich's murder is still ongoing, and updates will be provided as they become available.
