A 31-year-old man from Texas was arrested for murdering his fiancé. The accused, Ty Vaughn, allegedly shot and killed Lui Banos and staged the scene to make it look like a suicide. Vaughn was charged with murder on Friday, March 7. Banos was killed in January in their apartment complex in Baytown, according to People, which cited a press release from the Baytown Police Department.
Police responded to a call regarding a man who found his fiancé dead from a gunshot wound on January 14. It was later revealed that the 911 caller was Vaughn. When the police arrived at the scene, they found Banos, a 27-year-old male, with a gunshot wound. The officers subsequently took Vaughn into custody for questioning.
The authorities said that Vaughn’s statements were inconsistent throughout the investigation. “Detectives later determined the cause of death to be a homicide,” police said.
According to People, Vaughn was scheduled to be in court on Monday, March 10, and a bond of $500,000 was set. People also reported that court documents detailed that Vaughn shot his fiancé in the face. The murder weapon used was listed as a rifle. The court document also said that before pulling the trigger, he went online and searched what type of consequences an “illegal citizen” would face for killing an “illegal immigrant.”
Additionally, ABC13 cited court documents that said the police discovered that Vaughn’s internet search included “Can I kill an illegal human?” ABC13 reported that Vaughn told the police he and his fiancé were arguing before he came home and found his partner dead. Vaughn also informed the police that his partner, who was reportedly a Mexico native, “lacked legal status,” according to court documents cited by Fox 26.
The San Antonio Express-News reported that the police said Vaughn spoke about Banos’ immigration status in an attempt to “diminish or disparage (his) status or worth.”