Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Troubling Relationship

Maria Nemeth, aged 31, met 25-year-old Fidel Lopez at a nightclub shortly after ending her eight-year marriage. Their relationship blossomed over the course of a year, prompting the couple to move in together.

On September 19, 2015, after Fidel completed his shift at the truck stop, he returned home to assist Maria with dinner. The couple later visited Fidel's mother in Miami, where she observed their affection for one another. Following this visit, they stopped at a local restaurant for margaritas before purchasing a large bottle of tequila from a liquor store.

As the night progressed, they returned home and began consuming shots, quickly becoming inebriated. However, the atmosphere shifted dramatically as the evening unfolded.

On September 20, 2015, Lopez made a frantic call to emergency services, claiming his girlfriend was struggling to breathe. Responding officers arrived to a scene of horror.

The walls and doorframes wer