In a bizarre and tragic turn of events, Iliana Martinez-Castillo, a 58-year-old woman, was shot and killed in her Port Charlotte, Florida, home on January 7, 2026. The man accused of her murder, her tenant Jordan Ruddy, reportedly believed she had been dead for days before the fatal encounter.
Ruddy told detectives he had noticed a foul odor coming from Martinez-Castillo's room and assumed she had passed away. On that Wednesday morning, when she emerged from her room alive, he claimed to have been startled. According to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, this startling encounter led to the shooting.
The situation was further complicated by an ongoing eviction process that Martinez-Castillo had initiated against Ruddy. Ruddy claimed that Martinez-Castillo yelled at him and pulled out a gun. He alleged that a struggle ensued over the weapon, and after gaining control of it, he shot her multiple times.
Following the shooting, Ruddy walked to a neighbor's house and calmly asked her to call 911. The neighbor, Alexus Taylor, was struck by his collected demeanor, noting that he spoke to her as if nothing significant had happened. Jordan Ruddy was subsequently arrested and is now facing a charge of second-degree murder.
