A Texas man is accused of killing his fiancé after he reportedly Googled “Can I kill an illegal human?” before the death.
Ty Dalton Vaughn, 31, was arrested after police discovered the body of his 27-year-old partner, Luis Banos Norberto, in their Baytown apartment in January. Vaughn is also accused of staging the scene to make it appear as though Norberto died by suicide.
Police believe Vaughn shot Norberto and then moved his body. According to the affidavit, Norberto was found lying on a bed with a rifle placed against his arm and a torn picture of him and Vaughn nearby.
Vaughn initially told police that he and Norberto had been arguing, and he came home at around 5:30 a.m. on January 14 to find him dead. However, surveillance footage showed that Vaughn actually returned home just after 4:00 a.m., which was earlier than he had told officers.
Neighbors reported hearing gunshots around that time. At 4:30 a.m., Vaughn sent a text to Norberto, saying, “Babe? Babe why are you not texting back?!” Then, at 5:30 a.m., Vaughn called 911, telling the dispatcher, “My spouse is dead. Help. My life is over.”
Court documents revealed that Vaughn had searched online just hours before the death to see if it was illegal to kill an “illegal immigrant.” During his police interview, Vaughn also repeatedly brought up his fiancé’s immigration status.
According to a criminal complaint, Vaughn is charged with first-degree felony murder for causing Norberto’s death by shooting him with a firearm.
Vaughn was booked on Saturday and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
