Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘A Mother’s Choice’ of Netflix’s ‘I Am a Killer,’ the focus is on the chilling murder case of Jose Menchaca and the investigation that ensued. As the detectives followed hints and connected the dots, they were shocked to learn that his murder was a collective effort of three individuals — Daniel Lopez, Gabriel Moreno, and his own cousin Candie Dominguez. Putting the blame on her troubled past, Candie showed little to no remorse as the investigators zeroed in on her. The episode also features detailed and insightful interviews with the cousin killer, who shares her perspective of the crime and what led her to it.
Candie Dominguez’s Rough Childhood Led Her to Find Comfort in Drugs
Candice “Candie” Dominguez was born in 1979 into a San Antonio, Texas, household that was far from stable. As per her claims, her father was a drug addict, and her parents used to hold parties every other night in the backyard, which always resulted in someone or the other getting hit or stabbed. She also alleged that she and her sister were victims of sexual abuse. Their parents got separated, after which her sister went to live with their father. On the other hand, 8-year-old Candie ran away from her house in 1987. While living off the streets, she got involved with gang members and even dealt drugs.
At the tender age of 15, Candie got pregnant. When her mother refused to help her raise the child, she turned to her cousin, Jose Luis Menchaca Jr., who welcomed her and her child with open arms. Just a few months after becoming a mother, she began dating a much older man. Despite sharing a dysfunctional and abusive relationship with the man, she stayed with him for more than two decades, during which she gave birth to five more children. When the abuse became all too much for her, she reportedly ended the relationship and parted ways with him in 2014. While at a vulnerable place, Candie crossed paths with Daniel Lopez, a major drug dealer and a member of the Texas Mexican Mafia. Sparks flew between them, and they started dating each other.
It All Started With a Drug Deal Gone Wrong Between Daniel and Jose
About a month into their relationship, Daniel allegedly started selling drugs to Candie’s cousin, Jose. During one of the drug deals between Daniel and Jose in September 2014, things went south, and the latter reportedly stabbed him and fled the scene. Within a week of that incident, Candie had allegedly come up with a plan to get back at her cousin for injuring her boyfriend. On September 30, 2014, she lured Jose and his girlfriend, Sylvia, into her home at the 400 block of Hillwood Drive on the North Side in San Antonio, where Daniel awaited with his cousin, Gabriel Moreno. The cousin was ambushed inside the house, while his girlfriend was held hostage in a separate room. Despite Candie’s children being present in the house, Jose was beaten with baseball bats multiple times and strangled.
Almost a week later, on October 6, 2014, his remains were found in trash bags in the garage of the home and on the barbecue pit in her backyard. Not long after the discovery of the horrific crime scene, Candie was interrogated by the police. At first, she refused to cooperate with the authorities but later described the events of the fateful night in a detailed and emotionless manner, claiming that it was all Daniel’s plan and that she was threatened to participate in the murder by him. Consequently, Candie Dominguez, alongside Daniel Lopez and Gabriel Moreno, was arrested and charged with the brutal killing of her cousin, Jose Luis Menchaca.
Candie Dominguez is Currently Incarcerated at a Texas Prison Facility
A few years later, in December 2018, Candie Dominguez stood trial for the murder of 35-year-old Jose Menchaca. While testifying as part of a plea deal, she took the stand and did not hesitate to share the details of how she dismembered her cousin’s body in the shed in her backyard after Daniel allegedly killed him. She emphasized that she lured him into her house at the order of her boyfriend, maintaining that she was coerced. According to her, Daniel also ordered her to burn and cook Jose’s limbs on a backyard barbecue grill. By that time, he had already been tried, convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in the brutal crime.
She also displayed no sign of remorse during her testimony. She stated, “At this time I do not feel remorse, I feel nothing but anger. I’m sorry he lost his life, yes, but we cannot change things. I accept things for what they are, and look forward.” She blamed the lack of emotions to her tough upbringing, saying, “The way I grew up, the way my life was, I didn’t show emotion. I never have. With everything I have gone through, emotions are useless.” Despite the best efforts of the defense to ask for leniency by highlighting a childhood of sexual assault and several years of abusive relationships, on February 1, 2019, the judge sentenced her to 30 years in prison. As of today, she is serving her sentence at William P. Hobby Unit in Marlin, Texas, with her parole eligibility date scheduled for October 2029.
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