On March 23, 2020, the body of 36-year-old Jose Santiago, a Hispanic male, was discovered inside his vehicle, which was parked near St. Adalbert Cemetery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A jogger who had seen the car in the same location for two consecutive days grew concerned and upon looking inside, found Santiago unresponsive in the driver's seat and immediately alerted the authorities.
When police arrived, they found that Santiago had been fatally shot twice in the back of the head in what was described as an execution-style killing. Originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico, Santiago was a motorcycle enthusiast and a member of the MIXFITS Motorcycle Club. He was survived by his wife and a son.
The investigation into the homicide revealed a turbulent relationship between Santiago and his wife, Cassandra Hult. The couple, who had been married for about a year and a half, frequently argued. On the morning of March 22, the day before his body was found, they had a severe argument after Hult discovered text messages from other women on Santiago’s phone. Hult initially told investigators that after the fight, Santiago kicked her out of the car, and she went to her grandmother's house. Her account of the day's events, however, contained inconsistencies and she failed to mention that they had been to McDonald's.
For years, the case remained unsolved, but a breakthrough came from evidence collected at the scene. Inside the vehicle, investigators found a spent bullet casing, a McDonald's receipt, and two McDonald's cups. Forensic testing on the cups revealed the DNA of both Jose Santiago and Cassandra Hult. The receipt was time-stamped at 12:29 p.m., which contradicted Hult's claim that she had left the car around 10 a.m. Furthermore, cellphone tower data placed Hult's phone in the vicinity of the cemetery around the time her husband's car was first seen there.
Following Santiago's death, Hult left Wisconsin. The investigation gained further momentum when witnesses came forward. A man Hult was in a relationship with in California told police that she had confessed to killing her husband multiple times. Another witness, a woman Hult had an argument with in Arizona, reported that Hult threatened her during a FaceTime call, stating that she had killed her husband in Milwaukee and "has bodies on her." Based on the mounting evidence, an arrest warrant was issued, and in May 2024, Cassandra Hult was taken into custody and charged with first-degree reckless homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon. She has pleaded not guilty and is being held on a $500,000 bond while awaiting her next court appearance.
