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The Alamo man accused of murdering a local business owner and Freemason has been indicted in the case and will soon face a judge, county records show.
Julio Diaz, 35, was indicted for murder by a Hidalgo County grand jury on Sept. 13 in the death of Robert Wise of Mission.
Diaz is accused of shooting and killing Wise, who died at the age of 55, outside the Masonic lodge in McAllen, located at 118 N. 11th St., on July 10.
Wise was found next to his pickup truck. He had been shot multiple times in the face.
McAllen police, who responded to the shooting, said video surveillance showed Diaz arriving at the location in a black Chevrolet Blazer and approaching Wise as he was getting into his truck.
In an arrest affidavit, authorities said surveillance footage further showed Diaz holding a handgun in one hand and an “electronic device in the other hand” in order to record him shooting Wise several times in the face, and then posted the video to his Instagram account.
The Monitor previously reported that a friend of Diaz tipped off police about the shooting and sent them screenshots of message exchanges between the two. McAllen police then arrested Diaz the next day, on July 11.
Wise was identified by the organization as a Freemason and member of the McAllen Lodge No. 1110, adding that he was shot outside the Masonic hall following an officer installation meeting.
Wise CDL also identified him as a managing member of the corporation and a leader with more than 23 years of experience in trucking.
“Patient, personable and very knowledgeable,” and “beloved” and “exceptional” were terms the corporation used to honor Wise, who was also said to be close to his family.
Diaz, who remains in county jail on a $1 million bond, was also indicted by a Hidalgo County grand jury on a second count in addition to murder, arson with intent to damage a habitat or a place of worship. That charge stems from allegations that Diaz attempted to set the Masonic lodge on fire Sept. 17, 2022.
He’s now scheduled for arraignment Wednesday before state District Judge Bobby Flores.
