On April 30, 2023, 31-year-old Nick Hallam was fatally shot at an apartment complex in the 4100 block of Medical Drive in San Antonio, Texas. The incident occurred during a social gathering hosted by 50-year-old Jose Alvarez, who had been in a romantic relationship with Hallam's wife, 30-year-old Maryann Demetro, for several months.
According to arrest affidavits, during the gathering, Alvarez shot Hallam in the neck, resulting in his immediate death.
Initially, Demetro informed police that Alvarez had taken her phone and held her hostage after the shooting, preventing her from leaving the apartment. She claimed to have escaped hours later and reported the incident to authorities.
However, surveillance footage from a neighbor's Ring camera contradicted Demetro's account. The video showed Demetro and Alvarez attempting to move Hallam's body out of the apartment but retreating when they found it too heavy. Subsequently, Demetro was seen alone, cleaning bloodstains outside the apartment, appearing calm and not under duress.
Upon further investigation, Alvarez confessed to the police about his affair with Demetro and claimed he shot Hallam out of love for her and a desire to be with her. Demetro later admitted to assisting in cleaning the crime scene and attempting to move her husband's body. She was arrested at San Antonio International Airport while trying to flee the city.
Alvarez was charged with murder and tampering with a human corpse, with his bail set at $245,000. Demetro faced charges of altering, concealing, and destroying a human corpse, with her bond set at $45,000. The couple's three young children were placed under the care of Hallam's family, who are mourning his loss and seeking to transport his body to California for memorial services.
