Their 14-month-old daughter was found alive near their bodies in a sugar cane field as investigators searched for a motive.
RETALHULEU, GUATAMALA — A Guatemalan couple who had lived in suburban St. Louis were found bound and killed in a rural sugar cane field weeks after reuniting following the husband’s deportation from the United States, authorities and relatives said.
Nixon Giovanni Pérez Paz, 43, and his wife, Glendy Marisol González de la Cruz, 25, were found near the community of Nueva Lolita in San Andrés Villa Seca, in Guatemala’s southwestern Retalhuleu department. Their youngest daughter, who was about 14 months old, was discovered alive beside them and showed signs of dehydration, according to local reports. Prosecutors have not announced a suspect or motive.
The couple had been reported missing after leaving home on a motorcycle, according to reports citing relatives and Guatemalan officials. Their bodies were found with their hands tied, and authorities recovered shell casings and a motorcycle from the area. Officials described injuries consistent with gunfire but did not release a complete account of how the killings occurred. Guatemala’s Public Ministry and National Civil Police are investigating.
Pérez Paz and González de la Cruz had most recently lived in Overland, Missouri, a small city in St. Louis County. Pérez Paz was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while traveling to work with his brother in 2025 and was later deported to Guatemala. ICE said he was arrested because he was unlawfully present in the United States.
González de la Cruz initially remained in Missouri, where she worked two manual-labor jobs and cared for the couple’s three daughters. She gave birth to their youngest child in June 2025. Friends and immigrant-rights organizers said she later became worried that she could also be detained and separated from her children, although she had an asylum case pending.
She returned to Guatemala with the children in June to reunite with her husband. The family had been together for only a few weeks before the couple disappeared. Authorities said the three girls were placed in the care of relatives after the killings. No information was immediately released about the condition of the two older children.
Rolando Pérez Paz, the slain man’s brother, said the family had left Guatemala for the United States in search of work and safety. He said the deportation divided the family and placed González de la Cruz under severe financial and emotional pressure. He is now helping care for the children and said relatives have struggled to explain their parents’ deaths to them.
González de la Cruz had also worked with Fuerza, a St. Louis-area group that advocates for immigrant workers and families. Members remembered her as a community organizer who supported other immigrants while trying to keep her own family together. Her death has caused fear among people who knew her and who face similar immigration uncertainty.
Overland Mayor Marty Little said city officials and local police were not notified before, during or after the federal immigration operation that led to Pérez Paz’s arrest. Little said a lack of communication about federal enforcement activity can create safety concerns because local officers may not know who is conducting an operation in their community.
The mayor did not allege that immigration agents were involved in the couple’s deaths. Pérez Paz’s family, however, said the deportation set in motion the separation that eventually led González de la Cruz and the children to return to Guatemala. The circumstances do not establish who killed the couple or why, and investigators have not publicly linked the crime to their immigration history.
The deaths occurred amid broader concern about violent crime in Guatemala and the risks facing people who return after living abroad. Authorities have not said whether robbery, organized crime, a personal dispute or another factor is being considered. Personal belongings were not found with the couple, according to Reuters, but officials have not publicly confirmed robbery as a motive.
A candlelight vigil for Pérez Paz and González de la Cruz was scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 2 outside Overland City Hall. Guatemalan prosecutors continued investigating the killings as of Friday, and no arrests had been announced. The couple’s children remained with extended family.
Author note: Last updated July 31, 2026.