Police say a neighbor’s report of a persistent odor led officers to David Edward De Coste’s body and a SWAT response.
EL PASO, Texas — A 29-year-old Texas man has been charged with murder after police found his father’s body concealed in the garage of a West El Paso home, where investigators allege the remains had been kept for days following a violent confrontation earlier in August.
John Michael De Coste is accused in the death of his father, 59-year-old David Edward De Coste, a retired El Paso Police Department detective. Arrest affidavits say the older man’s body was found Aug. 18 after a neighbor reported that the garage door at a home in the 6800 block of Villa Hermosa Drive had remained partly open for several days and that a strong odor was coming from the property. Idalia Nunez De La Torre, 28, was also arrested and is accused of helping move and conceal the body.
Responding officers reported noticing the odor and seeing the garage door slightly open. During a safety sweep, police found David De Coste’s body wrapped in plastic in the garage, according to court documents. Officers initially could not locate anyone else inside the house, but later heard a voice. Police secured the property and called the department’s SWAT and Crisis Management teams. De La Torre eventually came outside, and John De Coste later surrendered to officers. Both were taken into custody and interviewed by investigators.
The arrest affidavits describe a confrontation that John De Coste said occurred sometime between Aug. 4 and Aug. 7. De La Torre told investigators she had begun living at the home on Aug. 2 and had kissed David De Coste on several occasions while his son was away. According to the documents, John De Coste told investigators he walked into a bedroom and saw his father and De La Torre kissing. Investigators allege the discovery led to an argument between the father and son that escalated into violence. De La Torre told police she did not witness the physical fight and did not participate in the alleged assault.
John De Coste told investigators his father was heavily intoxicated and attempted to retrieve a handgun after the confrontation began, according to the affidavit. He said he followed his father and pushed him as he tried to reach the weapon, causing the older man to fall and strike his head. De Coste allegedly acknowledged striking his father after the fall. He told investigators the older man eventually stopped fighting, took a pillow and remained on the floor. De Coste said he checked on his father during the night and heard him breathing but found him unresponsive the following morning.
Investigators allege John De Coste did not contact emergency services after finding his father dead. According to the affidavit, he told detectives he was afraid to call police because he had an active arrest warrant. Authorities believe David De Coste’s body remained in a bedroom for about three or four days before it was moved. The younger De Coste allegedly told investigators that he later ordered a body bag through Amazon. Court documents say he then asked De La Torre to help place his father’s remains inside the bag and move them to the garage.
De La Torre gave investigators a similar account of moving the remains, according to the affidavits. She allegedly said she helped place the body in the bag and move it into the garage after it arrived. Investigators also say she acknowledged using cleaning products on areas of the house where the body had previously been located. The evidence-tampering allegations against De La Torre do not accuse her of taking part in the physical confrontation that investigators believe caused David De Coste’s death.
Preliminary autopsy findings cited in the court records determined that David De Coste suffered blunt-force injuries and a skull fracture. The manner of death was listed as homicide. Investigators allege John De Coste caused the fatal injuries by pushing and striking his father. Those findings and statements form part of the criminal case against him and have not been tested at trial. The younger De Coste is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Police and court reporting list murder and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence involving a human corpse among the charges against John De Coste. Local reports also list a charge of continuous violence against family. De La Torre is charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence involving a human corpse. Authorities have not accused her of murder. Police confirmed that David De Coste had previously served as an El Paso police detective.
The investigation began shortly after 3 p.m. Aug. 18, when officers were sent to the Villa Hermosa Drive home for what was initially described as an unknown problem. A neighbor later told local television reporters that he had noticed the unusual odor and realized he had not seen David De Coste for several days. His call prompted the police response that led to the discovery of the body and the subsequent SWAT deployment.
John De Coste and De La Torre were booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility. As of Friday, John De Coste was being held without bond on the murder case, while De La Torre’s bond was reported at $150,000. The allegations remain pending in court as authorities continue the criminal proceedings arising from David De Coste’s death.