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Testimony: Police found bag of blood, spent shell casings, and a bloody towel in home of suspect in Lancaster County double homicide

Ezequiel Almodovar, 36, accused of shooting Jonathan Rivera and Eugenio Morales-Torres and burning their bodies in a pickup truck, will face trial in the killings.

LANCASTER, Pa. — Editor's Note: The above video is from July 28.

Police investigating the July 27 murder of two men in Lancaster County discovered multiple shell casings, a bloody towel, and a bag of blood at the home of the man accused of committing the homicides, according to testimony at a preliminary hearing Friday in Lancaster County Court.

Ezequiel Almodovar is accused of shooting Jonathan Rivera and Eugenio Morales-Torres at his Upper Leacock Township home and burning their bodies in a truck on a Lancaster County farm lane, prosecutors say.

The bodies of Rivera and Morales-Torres were found in the bed of a burned-out truck belonging to Morales-Torres in Manor Township, about 15 miles from Almodovar's home, according to evidence presented at the hearing.

East Lampeter Township Detective Scott Eelman testified that several key pieces of evidence were found at Almodovar’s Hunsicker Road home a day after Rivera went to the home – and never returned.

District Judge Denise Commins ordered all charges be held for disposition in Lancaster County Court.

Assistant District Attorney Christopher Miller argued at the hearing that Rivera’s fiancée interrupted Almodovar as he was cleaning up the crime scene at his home on the evening of July 27.

Rivera sent a voice message to his fiancée at about 7 p.m. that evening, saying he was going to “Zeke’s” (Almodovar’s) house, according to investigators.

When Rivera did not return and his phone went silent, his fiancée went to Almodovar’s home, according to her testimony.

There, she encountered Almodovar – in what appeared to be a blood-stained, white tank top shirt – crouching down next to Morales-Torres’ black pickup truck.

“He is looking for objects on the ground,” ADA Miller said in closing argument, “and he’s got blood all over his shirt.”

The fiancée and Rivera’s sister (Morales-Torres’ girlfriend) went back to Almodovar’s house the next morning, according to investigators. The truck was gone, but they found a spent shell casing in the grass, near the driveway.

The casing was turned over to police, who found five more casings outside Almodovar’s home, according to testimony. 

Police also found stains, believed to be blood, in the driveway and on a comforter and towel inside the home, Detective Eelman testified.

A bag of blood was found in a biohazard bag inside the garage, according to  the detective, who is an expert in blood stain analysis.

The fiancée testified of a second person seen at Almodovar’s home on July 27, dressed in all black, but Eelman testified that he believed “Mr. Almodovar was the primary person involved” in the killings, prosecutors say. 

Almodovar, 36, appeared at the hearing via video. He is charged with two counts of homicide, two counts of abuse of a corpse, arson, and tampering with evidence. He is at Lancaster County Prison without bail.


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