In the quiet village of Monticello, New York, the autumn of 2024 was shattered by a brutal act of violence that claimed the life of 42-year-old Jose Rodriguez, a Hispanic male resident. On October 5, 2024, Rodriguez was discovered deceased at a multifamily residence located at 20 Lakewood Avenue, prompting an immediate homicide investigation by the New York State Police in conjunction with the Village of Monticello Police Department and the Sullivan County District Attorney's Office.
The discovery caused unease among neighbors, who noted the significant police presence and road closures that weekend in an area they considered to be generally peaceful.
The investigation into Rodriguez's death swiftly moved forward, and on November 13, 2024, authorities arrested 26-year-old Jonte Wunner, also a Monticello resident. The evidence gathered by investigators, which included witness testimony, cell site data, surveillance footage, and DNA, painted a grim picture of Rodriguez's final hours. It was determined that on October 4, 2024, Wunner had beaten and shot Rodriguez to death inside the Lakewood Avenue home. Following the murder, Wunner wrapped Rodriguez's body in a tarp and transported it to the Woodridge rail trail, where he abandoned it.
Wunner was charged with second-degree murder, concealment of a human corpse, and tampering with physical evidence. His trial, held in September 2025, concluded after five days with a jury finding him guilty on all counts. At the time of this crime, Wunner was already a convicted felon with a history of violent offenses, including another murder in Albany just weeks after killing Rodriguez.
In November 2025, Jonte Wunner was sentenced for the murder of Jose Rodriguez. A Sullivan County Court Judge ordered him to serve 33 years to life in state prison. This sentence was mandated to run consecutively to a 35-years-to-life sentence he was already serving for the Albany murder, ensuring that Wunner would spend the remainder of his life incarcerated. The Sullivan County District Attorney remarked that the sentence brought a close to Wunner's 'reign of terror.'
