Naman Shrestha
Netflix’s ‘I Am a Killer: Lives Lost’ delves deep into the 1996 shooting death of 27-year-old Eric Anthony Pavilionis. As the detectives collected the evidence from the crime scene, they were led right to a juvenile named Higinio Gonzalez, who was directly involved in the murder. After nearly three decades of spending time in prison for his crimes, he continues to regret the events that transpired that fateful night. Thanks to the exclusive and insightful interview with the killer himself, and other people linked to the investigation, the viewers are provided with a detailed account of the case.
Higinio Gonzalez Ended Up Killing Eric Pavilionis During a Robbery
Born to Carmen Gonzalez around 1979 in Wyoming, Higinio Gonzalez grew up in a rather toxic household, accompanied by his older brother, Jesse Gonzalez, in a neighborhood filled with gang members and drugs. At the young age of eight, Higinio discovered that his father was involved with a drug cartel. When Carmen noticed that her husband’s business was not good for the kids, she left him and moved to Montana with Higinio and Jesse in 1992. However, his father tracked them down and purchased a house in the same area, from where he continued working on his drug business. At the young age of 13, Higinio Gonzalez had his first run-in with the law as he got into a fight with another boy at school, for which he was charged with assault.
As a result, he was ordered to spend three months in a youth correctional facility. At one point, he began living with his father, who gave him meth and cocaine to sell, slowly making him enter the drug business as well. While dealing meth, he became acquainted with a couple of girls of his age. In 1996, the two girls allegedly asked for his help to get them out of town because one of them was threatened by her father. According to Higinio, the two girls requested him to rob a convenience store to get enough cash to head out of town. After agreeing, 16-year-old Higinio drove down to the convenience store near his house with the girls on the late night of April 22, 1996. Upon reaching there, he claimed that one of the girls gave him an empty handgun to scare away the cashier into giving him the money from the cash register.
Around 3 am on April 23, 1996, taking the empty gun, he went inside the store, where only the 27-year-old cashier named Eric Anthony Pavilionis was present at the time. Higinio caught Eric by surprise by pulling the gun out and instructing him to give him cash from the cash register. After Eric obeyed, the gunman then ordered him to open the store safe, but the cashier denied having the keys to it. In an unexpected turn of events, the gun was loaded, and when Higinio pulled the trigger, the bullet landed a fatal gunshot wound to Eric’s chest. In a state of panic, he took the stolen $78 and a candy bar and fled the scene with the girls. The following day, the police arrested him at his mother’s residence and charged him with the murder of 27-year-old Eric Pavilionis. Unlike Higinio, the two girls were never charged for being involved in the crime.
Higinio Gonzalez Remains Behind Bars But is Hopeful For an Early Release
During his interview, 16-year-old Higinio Gonzalez denied any involvement in the theft or shooting in connection to the death of Eric Pavilionis. Following his arrest, the police allowed him to spend some time alone with his mother, Carmen, at the precinct. After speaking with his mother, he ended up confessing to the shooting of Eric and admitted that he loaded up the gun right before entering the convenience store.
Higinio stood trial for his crimes, and on January 10, 1997, he received a life imprisonment sentence. Although he was sentenced to life, he has the option to apply for parole after he has served 30 years of his sentence. With that date approaching, he is supposed to appear before a parole board for assessment, the result of which depends on whether he would be eligible for parole or not. Currently, he is incarcerated at Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge, Montana.
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