Manuel Mesa-Cabrera has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after luring his stepfather to a Walmart in Columbus, Nebraska, and shooting him. The incident occurred on May 27, 2025, in the store's parking lot. He faces sentencing in April.
On May 27, 2025, Manuel Mesa-Cabrera, 26, asked his 42-year-old stepfather, Anhil Mirabal Hernandez, to meet him at the Walmart at 818 East 23rd Street in Columbus, Nebraska, to help find a vehicle part, according to authorities. After parking in the lot, Mesa-Cabrera pulled out a 9 mm Smith and Wesson handgun and shot Hernandez in the chest and head. He had purchased the gun legally two weeks earlier and left the scene afterward. Columbus Police Department officers arrived around 6:20 p.m. Captain Doug Molczyk stated, 'Upon arrival, officers located a male victim lying on the ground with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest. Officers immediately rendered aid until Columbus Fire Department medics arrived on scene.' Hernandez was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Mesa-Cabrera, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia but was not taking medication or seeing a doctor, turned himself in shortly after, saying he knew he would be arrested. He was initially charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony but pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Sentencing is set for April.
