In the quiet, remote area of Gargatha in Accomack County, Virginia, a devastating scene unfolded on December 15, 2011, forever altering the lives of several families. Inside a mobile home on Diamond Springs Lane, authorities discovered a tragedy that would be deemed a murder-suicide, claiming the lives of five individuals, including 20-year-old Zayday Reyes.
The male victim was found alongside Evelyn Colon-Matias, age 27, and her two young children, 10-year-old Jesus Angel Quintero-Colon and 9-year-old Ana Estefani Quintero-Colon.
The investigation by the Accomack County Sheriff's Office revealed a heart-wrenching story rooted in a domestic dispute. Evelyn Colon-Matias and her children had been temporarily staying with Zayday Reyes due to financial difficulties. A bitter custody battle was ongoing between Evelyn and the children's father, 37-year-old Esteban Quintero-Gonzales. It was this conflict that is believed to have culminated in the horrific violence that transpired within the small mobile home.
Authorities concluded that Esteban Quintero-Gonzales was the perpetrator of the killings. He shot Zayday Reyes, Evelyn Colon-Matias, and his own two children before turning the gun on himself. Deputies were initially called to the residence for a report of an attempted suicide, only to uncover the grim reality of the multiple homicides. As the shooter was also deceased at the scene, there were no arrests to be made, and the case was subsequently closed. The community was left to grapple with the profound loss and the shocking nature of the violence that had shattered the peace of their rural neighborhood.
