In the small city of Ashland, Wisconsin, a weekend visit between brothers turned into a devastating tragedy, leaving a family and community in mourning. On a Friday night in mid-October 2023, 30-year-old Manuel Garcia Solless and his 27-year-old brother, Luis Garcia Solless, were visiting their other brother, Ricardo. The Hispanic brothers, who were originally from Mexico and lived near Eau Claire, had gone to the Stagecoach Bar and Grill.
As they were leaving, they encountered a violent
scene in the alley behind the bar. A man was allegedly beating someone with a crowbar. Their presence at that moment proved to be fatal. The man, identified by police as Nathan Monkaline, the owner of the Stagecoach Bar, is said to have pulled out a gun and opened fire. Ricardo, their brother, managed to hide and survived the encounter, but he witnessed the horrific final moments of his brothers' lives. He later recounted the devastating scene of seeing one of his brothers take his last breaths.
When law enforcement arrived at the alley, they discovered the bodies of Manuel and Luis. A small memorial of flowers was later set up in the alley to honor their memory. The community was deeply affected by the senseless violence, and support grew for the Garcia family. A GoFundMe campaign was established to help with the considerable expense of returning the brothers' bodies to their homeland of Mexico for burial. Manuel is remembered as the head of the household, providing for his family both financially and emotionally. He leaves behind a fiancée, Angelica, and a young child.
The investigation into the double homicide led to the swift arrest of Nathan Monkaline. Police utilized video evidence of the incident to identify and locate him nearby shortly after the shooting. He was taken into custody and has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. His bail was set at one million dollars. The family, while grieving their profound loss, has expressed their desire for justice for Manuel and Luis, hoping that the individual responsible will be held accountable for his actions.
