Hello, do you remember me from earlier? >> You scared to open those boxes? >> And then there's a closet in the back that smells like death back there. >> I can't open that. I I can't. It smells. >> Oh, yes, let's not touch that. >> This is the mother of 27-year-old Steven Gonzales, Maribel, and right now Maribel has just led officers to the remains of her nephew in her son's trailer. But even this is only the beginning. >> How did they miss that? >> Oh, wow. >> How did they miss that? >> I have no clue. >> Over the course of the next several hours, room by room, police will be forced to face a homicide unlike any other, leaving this mother torn between her son and the reality of what he's done. >> Yes, they are here at that residence. As far as schools those belong to, I don't know at this point. >> My heart was shaking. My heart was beating fast. >> Okay. >> September 25th, 2020 was already off to a bad start for the Gonzales family in Alamogordo, New Mexico. For hours, the family worked alongside police to coax 27-year-old Steven Gonzales out of his trailer because law enforcement had a warrant for his arrest. After making entrance, police were finally able to arrest Steven, who only added onto his charges because inside police found drugs, ones that Steven was visibly tweaking on. He was hauled away to jail, [music] leaving his sister, mother, and grandmother to clean up the mess he left behind in his trailer. They expected to find a drug den, [music] substances, trash, tin foil. What they found instead changed their lives forever. >> How did they miss that? >> [snorts] >> Oh, wow. >> How did they miss that? >> I have no clue. >> I don't know what that could be. It It smells. >> [laughter] [gasps and laughter] >> It's blood. >> Yeah, looks like it. >> It smells like it. >> [cough and clears throat] [snorts] >> Let me call >> Who are you going to call? >> I'm going to call the sergeant real quick. >> What did Steven say to you? >> Do what? >> Did you stay with Steven? Did you stay with Steven? >> No, I'm not I didn't I'm not with him. He's at the jail. Hey. I'm going to walk out of here real quick, okay? You there? >> Yeah. >> Go ahead. >> [snorts] >> So, there's two jugs. Um and it does appear to be in this type of jugs and then there's blood on the counter as well. >> There's like blood in the like >> Blood in the jugs and then it looks like there's blood There's blood splatter on the counter top. >> A lot of blood just uh >> Yeah, there's quite a bit of blood. In the jugs. >> In the jugs? >> Yeah. >> What kind of homicide do you think? >> This is not what you want to hear from the sergeant after discovering jugs of blood on a family's countertop, especially not in a home that police were supposed to have already searched. However, it seems they were a bit too focused on the drugs Steven was using and not on the blood all over the home. Instead, Steven's innocent family members were left to discover it. >> Contact Rodney. Talk about the missing person. There's a missing person everything else. >> You want to check on quick? Do you have the information? >> Um Steven Steven Gonzales, is that what it is? >> Steven Gonzales is the missing guy in Iowa. Is that him? >> Eddie Arteaga. That's all I know is Eddie Arteaga. The name. Can you go in there with the on the counter top? They'll show you where they are. Just stand with them. There's jugs of blood in there. Some blood right on the counter top as well. >> I don't understand how they missed that. It was like right there on the counter. >> That's where it was sitting the whole time? >> I looked at it and I was like, is this blood or something? And then he didn't have like the Wait, doesn't it look like blood? I can smell it. >> All right. It definitely looks like blood to me. >> Yeah. It smells. >> Huh? >> It smells. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Wait. >> Have you guys been in here cleaning or what was what was going on? I opened it up and there was >> There was it was trash. There was glass on the floor. That's all we picked up. I mean all the boxes are outside. We didn't throw anything away, but we moved the glass out of the way. There was glass that was broken. >> Steven's mother, sister, and grandmother are realizing in real time that they're standing in a crime scene. And while that's tragic enough, there's another layer. They suspect they know whose blood it is. A week earlier, Steven's cousin, Eddie Arteaga Jr., disappeared without a trace. Eddie and Steven allegedly used substances together and were seen together often, something that worried their family. Right now, Steven's family members aren't just realizing that he may have killed someone. They're realizing that he may have killed someone they know and love. >> I don't know what Your mom >> Down there? It doesn't [clears throat] look like it. Looks like the That, maybe. I didn't see under the bed. >> I already opened it. >> Well, if you can leave that like that, just leave it open like that. Cuz we're going to have to take pictures of all of this. Yeah. >> [gasps] >> How did they miss that? And we haven't touched it. >> I'm sorry. I wasn't here. I don't know how they got through their stuff earlier. >> [snorts] >> They came in and Most of the time I I understand. I was just asking if it gelled up like blood when it coagulates. >> It does. >> Yes. So, that that's what I'm going to check. So. So, it's your nephew and >> My son was also >> They arrested him from here? Okay. >> I just know like something's not right. My brother I don't think he I don't see anything he would be capable of doing that. I just can't. >> So, this is your brother and nephew that were here? >> and my cousin. >> And your cousin? Okay. So, your brother got arrested today? And your cousin is missing. Okay. >> If you're sane, you're probably asking the same question we are. Why on earth have police not cleared the scene? Instead, Steven's innocent mother, sister, and grandmother are left to wander room to room discovering more and more evidence that not only confirms their suspicions, but undoubtedly leaves them traumatized because there isn't just blood at the scene. >> I was sitting there just like that. >> It doesn't make sense why it's in >> It's water, right? >> Well, yeah. It's >> That's what we're saying. Well, they're both on drugs. Like, if he was on drugs and on clean drugs, I don't know. >> Do you know what they use? Drug wise, do they Do they inject? Yes. Okay. I was trying to make some sense maybe a little bottle cuz if they were Usually people that do inject and then they >> I don't know if my brother cut himself or whatever he cut himself like that in the house. >> Well, a lot of times they'll have like a back wash into their syringe and I've seen where they take it and they squirt the back wash into a bottle so that they can reuse that needle. But, some of the most of the time if they have something like that, they'll shoot it into the sink for >> That's a lot of blood, though. >> Yeah, that's a lot. That's a lot. Yeah. >> All right. It was starting to clean up a little bit and I noticed that and then I just noticed that and then I could show you something else. >> [clears throat] >> They were in here? >> I don't know. No, I don't know where. I >> Oh, [snorts] yeah. Let's look >> I don't know. I don't know what that is. I can't open. I can't open it. I I can't. >> Oh, yeah. Let's Let's not touch that cuz there's >> I just I don't know what is happening here. >> I see anything? >> The gloves. >> Huh? >> Did you go back there? >> I got them back here. >> As far as I can tell, it was right here. >> Oh, the gloves are back here. >> Going to the back corner. >> Over here? >> There's plastic tarp and buckets. Can you photograph >> Hey, it just got deeper. Um Cuz of that Steven stays in, there's a closet in the back. And that smells like death back there. There's 5-gallon buckets with top of them and there's film on the walls back there. And it smells bad back there. You want to get MCU out here? You want me to get the on-call guys out here? >> Inside the back bedroom, tucked away in several totes, the officer discovers human remains. The family had been allowed to wander around a crime scene and Steven's own sister was mere seconds away from looking inside and seeing something she would never be able to forget. Finally, police decided it might be time to close things down. But at this point, the family is in near hysterics and they have every right to be. >> It's coming. >> Uh, Sergeant Escarole's probably coming out here. Okay. We also have some detectives coming out here as well. Okay? Where's the wallet? Is it the wallet over there? >> He saw it. He said like, "He's here." >> [laughter] >> Okay. Let me put some gloves on real quick, okay? >> [laughter] [laughter] >> Can you photograph this as well. >> [laughter] >> Um, Ma'am, can I have you walk outside with me? Can you walk out here with me, ma'am? >> [laughter] [laughter] >> Can we have you all go outside? We're having to take photographs. We got detectives on the way, everything else. We have to secure the residence. Just Just the suspiciousness of it. We have to We have to secure it so we can further investigate when the detectives get here tonight. >> Mom, don't cry. You're going to make yourself sick. You need to calm down, okay? But >> I didn't do it. I didn't do this. >> [laughter] >> You don't know that he did it. You don't know that, Mom. We don't know what happened, okay? >> Okay. Well, we still have to investigate it, okay? >> [snorts] >> We have to do it a certain way, so. Looks like I have you all go outside so I can secure the residence for >> Nothing's happening right now. Come on, let's go. >> Do you have your ID? Let's see. >> I think I left >> Okay. What about your mom? Is hers in the car as well? >> Probably. Mom, come on, let's go. What then? >> Turn the flash on on your camera. >> Come on, baby. Come on, it's okay. It's okay. >> No. No. >> Leave it. >> What's your name? >> What's your mom's last name? >> You guys don't know what Steven did anything, okay? >> What's Steven's middle name? >> What's your first name? >> I need to like this song to be too. >> Okay. I asked his trying, ma'am. >> His mom is >> Ma'am. I know. I know. Ma'am. Ma'am. >> Maddy. >> I need I need you all to go outside, seriously. >> Maddy. >> Mom, come on, let's go. What if it's just something stupid, Mom? Maddy, come on. >> [laughter] >> Come on, go outside, okay? Mom, come on, let's go. Come on, Grandma. >> Fine. >> Grandma, let's go. >> She's She's been missing yet. This is like been really hard on all of us. We've been like going through this for the past week not knowing where he's at. >> I know. >> That boy That boy, [laughter] that means I'm about to have Maddy, could you have you know >> Okay. You You medics for anything? >> No. Okay. I just don't Okay. >> There's nothing saying that >> No. >> It is what it is, but we have to investigate it, okay? >> My son is not a bad person. >> Okay. >> He has his I think you should leave out the >> Do you have a Do you have your driver's license with you? Okay. Can you go grab it for me? >> I don't want this. No, I don't want Okay, this is not going to be like from age >> No, ma'am. >> Please don't >> No, that's not That's not what we do, okay? >> Oh, my tears are burning. They got along. Like they loved each other. They're cousins. They're close. >> Do you think drugs got to have something to do with it? >> Well, I was always protecting what Steven because I he has mental illness. >> What does he have? Do you know? >> Well, he's never been diagnosed, but I mean, if you ever met him or talked to him or when you guys talked to him, you'll be able to tell, you know. >> Um Well, I mean >> Like I told you, I bring him food every day because he always needs somebody to poison him. So, I have to feed him food all the time. I bring him water and won't leave the house because he thinks somebody comes in. Stuff like that. I told him he can't live like this, you know. Um Yeah, so I'm always like uh like I told you, I was just really protective of Steven that nobody uh >> Product of drugs? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Steven struggled with mental illness in his teens and early 20s, which was worsened by his increasing addiction to drugs, specifically drugs of the Walter White variety. As police try to clear the scene, they still can't quite keep things under wraps because nearby family members pull them aside asking about something they've overheard. >> Someone pieces. >> [clears throat] >> pieces Not good. was money a detective and a detective let it slip that they found him. But then when she asked him that it was nothing for him that day that he said that it was nothing that like like he didn't deny it but like he wouldn't tell her anything like that there was nothing to say. >> I don't know if anybody mentioned anything about it. I I am not going to say yes or no. >> Do you know about how long till we know? Like I feel like in our hearts we probably know he did it. >> I I honestly cannot put a time people on it. It depends on everything everything that I feel like what we have to give could be the other the energies and everything will go from there. Follows on everything. >> Police began to do just that and start the interrogations with the hopes of getting more insight into who Steven is and who Eddie was. At this point they haven't definitively confirmed Eddie is the victim but it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure that one out. They begin by interviewing Steven's sister. >> There's some things that we can talk about freely, there's some things that we can discuss freely but what I will say, what I what [music] I know 100% is that yes, there are at that residence. Um as far as schools those belong to I don't know at this point. He doesn't know at this point. It's just legitimately we don't know. >> Really um how long does it take for them to like test his blood and stuff like >> It it it'll get sent off to the lab and it's not like CSI where you you know, you take your DNA, you stick it in the machine and >> Will that match? >> Five minutes later it it it takes it takes months. It takes months, yeah, at times. >> I mean with all the meth and that's probably why they missed that but I'm just like why was there, um, that [snorts] container with the blood? Is it blood? >> Well, I mean, I I guess I need to know which container you're talking about. >> There It was like a like a gallon like a water gallon like a water jug. >> Okay. >> Just like a gallon size and it was filled with I got first I was like, is this blood or is this like food later? You know what I mean? Like it's like cranberry juice, but it was like thicker and that's what when I was definitely alone like I opened it and I smelled it. I was just smelling it. >> Okay. And which container was it that you opened? >> Uh, the little one, the like this bottle. >> And that's the one that was in the kitchen? >> Mhm. Not like barely anything in it, but it was it looked like fresh meat. And that smell was just horrible. >> Okay. >> But, um, >> [clears throat] >> then I went and I know that they didn't let us go in there whenever they arrested him at first. But, after we went back there, like I went back there and I started, um, looking around and everything and I didn't open anything cuz I was just like scared. >> Yeah. Okay. >> But, I did see that blood and I showed the officer like there was blood back there and it stunk really bad. >> Let me do this. And the smell I'm sure I'm assuming you've been in that trailer a few times like often. I mean, your brother and your your grandmother lived in Okay, so would you say that that smell was uncommon? >> I would say, um, >> Okay. >> I mean, they had a leak before like grandma has she stays there off and on, um, but she baby sits for me so I work a lot, you know? And like she sometimes has to go and watch the house for she didn't because, you know, >> Um >> [clears throat] >> he doesn't like to be alone, I guess, or we worry about him when he's by himself. Um it's just getting worse and worse. Like, he's I don't know. Like, I kind of start thinking that it's like it's like a like the anger that he had before. And I started like looking things up and I started thinking >> Has he been denying this now? >> He doesn't He's in denial. Like, >> Oh, okay. >> you know? But, he's broken down to me and he's cried and he's like, "I'm going to get a job. I'm going to get a job." And he's kept a job, but, you know, they don't fire him, but they cut his hours. Like, he gets like barely any hours, you know what I mean? >> Like, he can kind of just >> And it's so sad because he loses like he'll be he'll be fine for a second and then he'll all of a sudden he'll just stop. And he'll be like, You know, he'll start and then he'll like make like he'll go like this and stuff, you know what I mean? And you know, he used to be like that. And I keep telling Stu, "It's just your mind. Like, you need to control your mind. Like, don't do that." And he's like, Like, he's thrown away the food before because he thinks that somebody's been in the house. And this is before he's even been on you know, doing drugs. Like, I can tell you he was on drugs. >> It's not uncommon for people struggling with mental illness to turn to substances for relief and an escape from their own mind. Steven, who was in denial about having mental health problems, leapt into his addiction with both feet and never got the treatment he so desperately and clearly needed. >> What's your What's your fears? You talked a little bit about it earlier. Um whenever you were at over there by the house. >> My cousin's dead. >> Why do you think that? >> Because it's been a week and he hasn't called us. >> Is that abnormal? >> He would have called my sister or his girlfriend. And he hasn't. Um I just I mean, it might sound weird, but I just don't feel his life force here anymore. >> So, that's something your gut's telling you? >> Yeah. Um I don't know. Can you confirm that for me or not? >> Well, I'm pretty sure that you already know talking to your family that um one of the APD supervisors said that there were possible human remains that were found inside the house. Um I can't tell you if that's Eddie. I don't know. I don't know who it is to be honest with you. Nobody knows right now. >> Like >> I don't I don't know. All I know is that whenever APD went and did their walk-through yesterday, um they confirmed that there were um it appeared to be human remains that were located inside the house. >> Like what kind of remains? >> Like a body. >> [snorts] >> So, I can't tell you who it is. We don't know. Um and I don't know when we we would even be able to confirm that right now at this point. But I do feel that there's some information and I understand that you and your family are in a a really shitty spot because I don't know if it's Eddie and I don't know if Steven um would have or could have killed Eddie. Um is it suspicious? Absolutely. And I think that you guys are put in a shitty spot for mourning if this is Eddie that he he is deceased and your your brother um being in the in the trailer with him and nobody knowing what's really happening. I'm just going to ask you, okay? If you were to know that Steven did kill Eddie, would you tell us? >> Yeah, but I don't know. >> Okay. Well, I just know that you guys are put in a really shitty spot cuz you have your cousin and then you have your brother and either way you're going to feel like you're taking one of the other side, right? >> I wouldn't take sides. If Steven took my cousin's life and I knew about it, I would say. >> Okay. Okay, fair enough. >> I mean, I love them both. Eddie was like brother to me, too. Honestly. And it makes me feel bad because I feel like I was there for him more than I was for my own brother. >> Armed with the information his sister has given him about his mental state and her assurance that she loved both Steven and Eddie equally, police begin the interrogation of Steven. At this point, he doesn't seem to realize just how much he's traumatized his own family and evidently, he doesn't feel any remorse for it. >> Hey, are you Steven? Are you Steven? My name is Kyle Brown. I'm an investigator with the DA's office. This is Detective Brown here from the PD. I'm going to take these off. I just put you on this on this wall, okay? I'll make you a little more comfortable. All right. Do you Do you want a glass of water or anything? >> Yes, sir. >> Yeah. You good? >> Yeah, yeah. I got to say something about my arm here. What happened to your arm there? >> Oh, I don't have any paperwork. >> right. What's going on with your arm? >> I don't know. It's uh I don't know what's wrong with it. Once I got to the Once I got to the hospital, I noticed it. I'm nervous. I'm really nervous cuz this is like a scary man. Like I want to watch the Pelican. Like >> It's so scary, man. [snorts] >> [clears throat] >> Why are you scared? >> Huh? >> Why are you scared? >> [clears throat] >> It was like He was talking about It's going on for a while. >> Okay. Well, we're going to get into some of that, okay? I think we have some information for you and you have some information for us that we can help each other out. Okay? You understand that if we ask you a question you don't want to answer it, you don't have to. >> Yeah. >> Okay, so are you willing to answer some questions without an attorney here? >> I don't know. If I could talk to my lawyer first. Just talk to my lawyer first. I just talk to my lawyer first. >> Okay, so is that what you want to do? You want to talk to your attorney first? >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. We'll get you in here in just a second, okay? You can keep that water. >> You say anything? >> You what? >> Nothing. >> Just thinking. Okay. >> Ultimately, Steven was found guilty of second-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and possession of a controlled substance. He never divulged a motive and police were unable to find one, though they believe drug-induced paranoia may have been a factor. After killing his cousin, Steven put his remains in totes to try and conceal his crime. Fortunately, that didn't work out very well for him. Steven was sentenced to 41 years in prison, which means by the time he has served his sentence, he will be in his late 60s or early 70s. Thank you for tuning in. Besides subscribing to help us make more videos exactly like this one, you can also listen to all of our crime podcasts over on Spotify. And before you go, check out one of the craziest cases I've ever covered right here, or one of my newest uploads right here.