On a summer day in San Antonio, Texas, the life of 27-year-old Meritxell Pimentel was brought to a tragic end. On June 29, 2026, Pimentel was discovered deceased inside an apartment unit on the far west side of the city. Alongside her was the body of 24-year-old Mark Anthony Ferrel Jr. Both had sustained fatal gunshot wounds, and a firearm was recovered at the scene.
The grim discovery was made after a concerned family member, unable to reach one of the victims since the preceding Saturday evening, went to the Arroyo Seco Villas and, with the help of the property manager and maintenance team, gained entry to the locked apartment.
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office was called to the scene around 3:30 p.m. and immediately began an investigation. While deputies noted signs of a possible altercation, the initial assessment pointed towards a murder-suicide, and they confirmed that they were not actively searching for any suspects in connection with the deaths. This was later confirmed by the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office, which ruled Pimentel's death a homicide and Ferrel Jr.'s death a suicide, with both individuals dying from a gunshot wound to the head. The exact nature of the relationship between Pimentel and Ferrel Jr. was not immediately clear to investigators. Her parents later described him as a friend and confidant with whom she worked.
In the wake of her death, Meritxell Pimentel's family remembered her as a beloved daughter and sister who was full of life. Her parents, Jorge and Nina Pimentel, tearfully recalled their last moments with their daughter, sharing that she had given them a hug and told them she loved them before they parted ways for the last time. Known as "Mary" to her loved ones, she was described as a hardworking individual who loved animals and had served in the army for three years. She was an employee at a local Petsmart, where her manager said she was "the light of that store," always smiling, laughing, and willing to help everyone. The investigation into the deaths of Meritxell Pimentel and Mark Anthony Ferrel Jr. concluded with the determination of a murder-suicide, a tragic event that left a family grieving the sudden and violent loss of a young woman they cherished.
