Missouri woman self-deported to reunite with husband, both shot dead in Guatemala weeks later
Jul 26, 2026·Location: Overland, MO
Country of origin: Guatemala

Nixon Giovanni Pérez Paz, 43, and his wife Glendy Marisol González de la Cruz, 25, were found bound and shot dead in a sugarcane field in Guatemala weeks after González de la Cruz self-deported to rejoin her husband. Pérez Paz was arrested by ICE agents in an unmarked vehicle near his home in Overland, Missouri in March 2025 while driving to work with his brother; he and his brother were undocumented immigrants who had fled violence and poverty from Central America. González de la Cruz had an active asylum case but worked two manual labor jobs while raising their three young daughters, including a newborn born in June 2025. Fearing detention and separation from her children, she chose to self-deport to be with Pérez Paz in Guatemala. Their 14-month-old daughter was found crying beside her mother's body and showed signs of dehydration; she was taken to a medical center and is recovering. Her brother-in-law is now caring for the three orphaned children.
Timeline
Sources
- Overland couple shot dead in Guatemala after local ICE stop led to deportations
stlpr.org·Jul 27, 2026·archived copy
- Pareja de Overland asesinada en Guatemala después de deportaciones por ICE
stlpr.org·Jul 27, 2026·archived copy
- soy502.com
- Missouri couple shot dead in Guatemala after local ICE stop led to deportations
KCUR·Jul 28, 2026·archived copy
- CourtListener
- (HC) Perez Gonzalez v. Warden Central Valley Annex, 1:26-cv-06767
- Cruz Gonzalez v. Winn Correctional Center, 1:26-cv-03610
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