Father and daughter left their Mississippi home on February 28, 2026, to meet someone they contacted through Facebook Marketplace, but the trip turned deadly after they were both shot and killed.
The bodies of the father and daughter were discovered inside their work van off a rural road in Sardis, a town around 50 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee, after the police responded to what initially appeared as a single-vehicle crash.
According to their family, Victor Gonzalez, 42, and his daughter Serenity Gonzalez, 19, were about to purchase a gaming console on the day they were killed. The police said the tracks left by their vehicle suggest that the two tried to flee before the tragedy took place.
Jessie Waterman, 15, the son of Victor and the brother of Serenity, spoke to several media outlets and said he didn’t know exactly whom his father and sister were meeting regarding the Play Station 5 they were planning to purchase. Speaking to WREG, Jessie said he believes his father and sister fell victims of a setup.
In an interview with Memphis-based ABC affiliate WATN, Jessie explained that “something must’ve happened with the transaction,” suggesting it may have been “a scam.” Regarding the location where his loved ones were discovered, he said he believes “they were trying to flee based on the tracks on the road and the mud on the side of the van.”
According to investigators, the killings took place either Saturday, February 28, 2026, or Sunday, March 1, 2026.
Residents of the place where the shooting happened explain that River Road, where the father-daughter vehicle was located, is far from busy and would only be used if people already know it exists.
“It’s got houses up that end and houses up the other end, but very few in between,” neighbor Connie Donahou said. “It’s not a real busy road, but if you live around here, you know about this road. You pretty much have to live around here to know about this road.”
Victor worked as an electrician and his daughter worked alongside him. According to Jessie, they were both hardworking and mainly took jobs in the Memphis area.
Their tragic deaths left their family wonder why someone would want to hurt them.
“If I was to ask a question it would be, why? All of this, it doesn’t make any sense [sic],” Jessie said, according to WREG News.
“Everybody is in shock and disbelief. But we’re also grieving at the same time because it all happened all of the sudden [sic],” he added.
Panola County Sheriff Shane Phelps confirmed he spoke to the victims’ family but refused to provide any details about what could be possibly going on before the shooting took place. He added that they are actively working on the case.
So far, little information has been revealed about who the possible suspect could be, and no motive has been identified.
For now, all that can be done is wait and hope that someone comes forward with information that will shed light on how a simple online purchase can become a deadly crime.
The tragedy in Mississippi may not be an isolated incident. Hundreds of miles away, another investigation is taking place which can point to a disturbing pattern linked to meetups arranged through online marketplaces.
On Sunday night, otherwise quiet residential street in Colombia, Missouri, turned into a crime scene after a shooting incident that left a man in critical condition. The investigation revealed similarities to other violent encounters connected to online marketplace transactions.
Police were called to the 1400 block of Ridgemont Court shortly after 8 p.m. on January 18, 2026, after reports of gunshots in the area. Upon arriving at the scene, they found a 42-year-old man with gunshots wounds. He was transported to the hospital where he later died.
The man was later identified as Michael Ryan Burke, a Columbia resident and Marine Corps veteran.
A couple of days following the tragic shooting, the police arrested four suspects, two men, a woman, and a juvenile. The adult suspects were identified as 18-year-old Alexis Baumann of Hallsville, 18-year-old Kobe Aust of Columbia, and 18-year-old Joseph Crane of Columbia. Police say that both Baumann and Aust were arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, and first-degree burglary. Crane is being charged with the same crimes as well as additional charges of armed criminal action and the unlawful use of weapons. The juvenile has been arrested on similar charges.
According to People, the shooting was linked to a planned Facebook Marketplace deal involving a cellphone.
Authorities revealed that Michael was arranging to sell his iPhone 15 Pro for $585 on Facebook Marketplace. After he shared his home address with the potential buyer, he received a text message around 8 p.m. saying, “I’m here.”
Not long after, the police answered a call about shooting and found Michael injured inside his home. Despite his injuries, he was still able to call for help. During his final moments, he sent a text message to his mother and sister, telling them goodbye.
“He texted them saying that, ‘hey, I’m dying and I love you,'” said Jerry Reifeiss, who knew Michael for more than two decades. “That was just Ryan. He always put people in front of him and wanted to make sure people knew how he felt.”
In the days before Michael’s death, the suspects attempted two other iPhone robberies involving Facebook Marketplace.