Two decomposing bodies discovered in a parked car near Phoenix have been identified as 25-year-old Doris Aguilar and her stalker, 51-year-old Juan Cuellar, authorities reported.
Local police revealed Aguilar was shot by Cuellar, who then turned the gun on himself. The grim find was made on July 7 in a gym parking lot, with the bodies suspected to have been there for several days.
Before her death, Aguilar had expressed fears about Cuellar to family and friends, according to private investigator Steve Fischer. Aguilar, a fitness enthusiast, had been missing since July 1.
“She warned her family and friends about him, saying if anything happened to her, he would be responsible,” Fischer told Arizona Family. Fischer described the case as “sick and twisted.”
Cuellar, who worked in the same building as Aguilar until his dismissal a year ago, allegedly continued to harass her with threatening messages and unannounced visits to her gym. Aguilar was so fearful she switched gyms to avoid him.
On June 27, Cuellar posted a disturbing message on Facebook: “Getting my Lifetime [gym] membership back. See you soon.”
Aguilar’s car was found unlocked at Christown Shopping Center on July 1, her belongings still inside. Six days later, the bodies were found in a rented sedan at a steakhouse parking lot near her former gym.
Fischer believes Cuellar rented the car as part of a scheme to lure Aguilar. He suspects Aguilar was killed elsewhere and moved to the car, noting no biological evidence was found in the vehicle.
“He tried to stage it to make it look like she killed herself,” Fischer said. Aguilar’s phone was turned off shortly after 8 p.m. on July 1, according to Fischer. Phoenix Police are reviewing surveillance footage to piece together the events leading up to the crime.
Both Fischer and Phoenix Police declined to comment further on the ongoing investigation.
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