In the early hours of July 25, 2017, the life of 31-year-old Gabriel Juarez-Montanez was tragically cut short in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Juarez-Montanez, a male of Hispanic descent, was found in the parking lot of the Edison House Apartments on Portage Street with multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency services rushed him to Bronson Methodist Hospital, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety quickly determined his death was a homicide.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a complex and volatile love triangle. Juarez-Montanez was involved with his on-and-off girlfriend, Kelsey Boodt, who was also in a relationship with another man, Cornell Head Jr. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing one or two individuals fleeing on foot after the gunshots rang out. Boodt's statements to the police implicated Head in the shooting. The investigation uncovered that Juarez-Montanez had approached a vehicle where Head and Boodt were sitting, leading to a fatal altercation.
Cornell Head Jr. later turned himself in to the Chicago Police on August 3, 2017. During his trial, Head claimed he acted in self-defense, stating that Juarez-Montanez had approached the car aggressively and thrown a punch. However, the prosecution argued that Head had other options than resorting to lethal force. Evidence presented at trial included testimony that Head had previously threatened to harm Juarez-Montanez. A forensic medical examiner testified that Juarez-Montanez suffered two gunshot wounds to the chest, with one bullet passing through his hand, suggesting he may have had his hands up in a defensive posture.
Ultimately, a jury convicted Cornell Head Jr. of second-degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of felony firearm, and carrying a concealed weapon. He was sentenced to a term of 30 to 50 years in prison for the murder conviction, with additional concurrent sentences for the other charges.
