Devil in the Web on ID is investigating the suspected murders of Linda Carbajal and Cynthia Palacio, who the police believe were strangled by Andy Castillo in Lubbock, Texas.
The murders took place in 2003 and 2004, but it took until 2020 before the cops put Castillo in the frame for the killings. Castillo eventually came to the attention of law enforcement after he engaged in a terrifying online campaign whereby he threatened and harassed multiple women in numerous states across the US.
On July 15, 2003, the partially naked body of 21-year-old Cynthia Palacio was found on a rural road in Lubbock County; she had been strangled to death.
Less than a year later, on April 19, 2004, the body of Linda Carbajal, also 21, was found in very similar circumstances; she too had been strangled.
The cases remained cold until 2020 when the cops finally arrested Castillo for a different crime. Castillo had been cyber-stalking multiple women in ten different states and 20 cities from Tucson, Az, to New York to Seattle, Washington.
Castillo had targeted half a dozen female estate agents in Waco, TX, who he bombarded with sexually explicit images. The sicko would take pictures of his victim’s children from social media and would threaten them with sexual assault.
In January 2020, the cops finally apprehended Castillo when he was charged with criminal solicitation to commit aggravated sexual assault of a child; this was later changed to a charge of stalking.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelDNA evidence pointed to Andy Castillo as the possible killer
However, while in custody, the police swabbed Castillo for DNA and found it was a match to DNA recovered from the Palacio crime scene. The detectives linked him to both killings, and he was charged with capital murder.
Andy Castillo died from COVID-19 while awaiting trial for murder in August 2021.
More from Investigation Discovery
Follow the links to read about more murders profiled on ID.
Chase Merritt butchered the McStay family, including their two young children, and buried them in a shallow grave in the Californian desert. His motive was greed and a severe gambling problem.
Jaroslav “Jerry” Hanel had tormented the Diamond Head neighborhood of Honolulu, HI, for years, but one day, he completely snapped and murdered landlord, Lois Cain, shot two responding police officers, and set fire to the neighborhood.
Devil in the Web airs Thursday at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery.