Tx. Man Accused of Targeting Homeless Men, Killing 2 with Sledgehammer
Texas authorities confirm a 58-year-old man has been indicted on two counts of murder for allegedly bludgeoning two homeless men to death with a sledgehammer.
Adelaido Amaya Esparza has been in custody since Nov. 23, 2020, after allegedly killing Daniel Slusser, 60, and Fredrick Hoylee Billmeier, who was 50.
PEOPLE confirms through online records that Esparza was indicted on Dec. 29, 2020, and is being held on $500,000 bond. It was unclear if he's entered pleas to the charges, and information on his lawyer was unavailable.
The Dallas Morning News obtained a copy of the criminal affidavit, which lays out the gruesome allegations.
The paper reports Billmeier was found dead at a Dallas bus stop on Oct. 20, 2020. Slusser was killed on Nov. 20, 2020, a little more than a mile from where Billmeier's murder occurred.
In the affidavit, police allege surveillance footage captured Slusser's murder. Police say a man, believed to be Esparza, approaches a sleeping Slusser in the footage, and then strikes him several times with a "full-size" sledgehammer.
Investigators allege in the affidavit they were able to track Esparza through vehicle registration records. The surveillance video allegedly shows Esparza fleeing in a black SUV after placing a large sledgehammer in the back of the vehicle.
Detectives claim they went to Esparza's home and peered into the SUV, spotting the sledgehammer's handle. They waited until the suspect drove off, pulling him over a short time later.
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Investigators say they recovered a duct-tape-wrapped sledgehammer from his vehicle; the head of the tool was stained with blood.
The affidavit alleges Esparza had denied killing anyone, but admits he is the only person who drives his vehicle.
The document further contends that DNA from both victims was recovered from the murder weapon.
At this point, police have yet to speculate on a motive.
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