In the early morning hours of January 3, 2020, a grim discovery was made on County Road 123 in Ozark, Alabama. Two men were found unresponsive, having sustained fatal gunshot wounds. One of the victims was identified as Kristhian Canales, a male from Kissimmee, Florida. There are conflicting reports on his age, with some sources stating he was 36 and others reporting he was 49. The other man was identified as 30-year-old Anthony L.
Rodriguez of Lakeland, Florida.
Investigators quickly determined that foul play was involved and launched a double homicide investigation. The Ozark Police Department, with assistance from several other law enforcement agencies, began to piece together the evidence. Their investigation led them to believe the killings were drug-related. Within a day of the discovery, authorities had identified two suspects from the nearby town of Daleville.
On January 4, 2020, police arrested 24-year-old Xavier R. Newsome at his home. A search for the second suspect, 23-year-old Natavious Jamal Antwan Vaughn, was initiated, with police warning that he should be considered armed and dangerous. Vaughn managed to evade capture for several days, but on January 10, 2020, he was apprehended without incident near Enterprise, Alabama, by the U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force.
Both Newsome and Vaughn were charged with multiple counts of capital murder. The specific charges included capital murder during a robbery, capital murder of two or more persons, and capital murder while the victim is in a vehicle. Their arrests brought a sense of resolution to the initial phase of the investigation into the deaths of Kristhian Canales and Anthony L. Rodriguez.
