A man has admitted his guilt in connection with the discovery of a body on Mount Lemmon almost three years ago.
On January 27th, at 11 a.m., Gabriel Chavez-Estrada will be sentenced for the charges of second-degree murder and aggravated assault. Previously, he had been facing a first-degree murder charge, but he pleaded guilty to the lesser charges on December 23rd.
In January 2022, Robert Brown was fatally shot by Chavez-Estrada, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
Brown and Chavez-Estrada set off together from Brown’s home at around 5 p.m. on January 24th, as stated in the interim complaint. Brown informed his family that they would be heading to Mount Lemmon for their outing.
After Brown failed to come back, Chavez-Estrada received a call from his family. Chavez-Estrada informed Brown’s family that he was not with him, despite their prior arrangements.
According to authorities, a search warrant was subsequently obtained for Chavez-Estrada’s phone. The information retrieved from the phone placed him in the vicinity of Molino Basin.
During the investigation, Chavez-Estrada claimed that he had no plans with Brown and did not encounter him on that particular day.
Investigators revealed that Chavez-Estrada quickly altered his account, stating that it was Brown who proposed the idea of going to Mount Lemmon, as he had a desire to meet someone there.
According to Chavez-Estrada, he and the other person were approached by a large group of men in multiple trucks and SUVs when they reached a pull-out near Molino Basin.
According to Chavez-Estrada, Brown was accompanied by all the men on the trail, except for four. Chavez-Estrada stated that after approximately 2-3 hours, he heard multiple gunshots, prompting him to flee.
Chavez-Estrada was involved in a crash at Broadway and Kolb, about 20 minutes after leaving Mount Lemmon. He talked to the police about the crash, but he didn’t mention anything about the incident on the mountain.
According to investigators, Chavez-Estrada is believed to possess a video on his phone that provides evidence of his presence in the vicinity where Brown’s body was discovered. It is worth noting that this area is not a frequently used hiking trail. However, the video does not reveal the presence of any other individuals or vehicles at the scene.