A 46-year-old Edinburg resident entered a not guilty plea Friday to a charge of murder over accusations that he and three other men restrained, assaulted and killed a man on Aug. 29.
A Hidalgo County grand jury indicted Jose Luis Sanchez on the charge on Jan. 7.
Sanchez is charged along with 20-year-old Mission resident Daniel Barker and 37-year-old Pharr resident Gilbert Daniel Montalvo Garren in the death of Ricky Dowal Etheridge on Aug. 29.
McAllen police found his body on Sept. 1 in an apartment in the 1000 block of North 15th Street after the man’s girlfriend called police with a welfare concern.
“McAllen Police Detectives had received information from the victim’s girlfriend indicating that she had not heard from her boyfriend, Ricky Etheridge. The girlfriend said she received a phone call from a friend of Ricky’s who told her that Ricky may have been beaten and shot,” a probable cause affidavit states.
Barker and Garren both face an additional charge of tampering with evidence over allegations that Barker tried to dispose of some shoes and that Garren tried to get rid of a wooden board.
Rene Everett Casas, 47, is also charged with murder in the case. Casas, however, remains a fugitive.
Anyone with information about Casas’ whereabouts or the murder are asked to call McAllen Crime Stoppers at (956) 687-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be anonymously submitted through the smartphone app “P3 TIPS.” A cash reward may be available if information leads to an arrest.
At the onset of the homicide investigation, McAllen police said they believe the men meant yo beat Etheridge to death over the theft of narcotics.
Sanchez and Barker remain jailed on $1.5 million in bonds.
Garren, who remains jailed on $1,525,000 in bonds, is scheduled to be arraigned next week.
