On September 2, 2023, in West Asheville, North Carolina, 37-year-old Ismael Muñoz was fatally shot at his residence on East Oakview Road. According to reports, Muñoz and his roommate were at home when an individual approached Muñoz with a metal pipe. As Muñoz attempted to close the wooden door, the assailant fired multiple shots through it, striking Muñoz several times.
He sustained gunshot wounds to his head, chest, left arm, and leg, as well as blunt trauma, including a laceration on his chin. Muñoz succumbed to his injuries before emergency medical services could transport him to the hospital.
The Asheville Police Department (APD) responded to the scene around 11:43 a.m. Evidence collected by detectives and forensic technicians led to the identification of 47-year-old Arturo Cordero Martinez as the suspect. Martinez fled the state, traveling toward Colorado in a 2001 Ford Mustang with a Tennessee license plate. With assistance from Indiana State Police, Martinez was apprehended without incident on Interstate 64 near Ferdinand, Indiana, later that evening. At the time of his arrest, Martinez was found in possession of a black Taurus 9mm pistol, a spent 9mm cartridge, brass knuckles, and a small plastic bag containing a substance that tested positive for cocaine.
Following his arrest, Martinez was extradited to North Carolina and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Muñoz's death. He was booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility without bond and had an initial court appearance scheduled for September 15, 2023. Investigators have not publicly disclosed the motive behind the shooting or the nature of the relationship between Muñoz and Martinez. The case remains under investigation by the Asheville Police Department, which has urged anyone with additional information to come forward.
