A father and his teenage daughter from Memphis, Tennessee, were found shot to death in Mississippi after leaving to buy a PlayStation 5 console listed on Facebook Marketplace. The pair disappeared on February 28 and were discovered the next day in a suspected homicide. Family members believe the transaction may have been a setup.
Victor Gonzalez, 42, and his daughter Serenity Gonzalez, 19, both from Memphis, Tennessee, left home on February 28 to meet someone selling a PlayStation 5 on Facebook Marketplace. They never returned, and on March 1, deputies from the Panola County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a possible single-vehicle crash on a remote gravel road in Sardis, Mississippi, about 50 miles south of Memphis.
Upon arrival around 7 a.m., authorities found the father and daughter deceased inside their van, each suffering multiple gunshot wounds. The incident is being investigated as a double homicide, believed to have occurred on February 28 or March 1.
Jessie Waterman, 15, Victor's son and Serenity's brother, spoke to local media about the circumstances. He told WREG, a Memphis CBS affiliate, that he suspected his father and sister were victims of a setup related to the online sale. In an interview with WATN, a Memphis ABC affiliate, Waterman added, "something must've happened with the transaction," possibly a "scam." He pointed to tire tracks and mud on the van's side as signs that "they were trying to flee."
Law enforcement has not confirmed the details of the Facebook Marketplace connection. The investigation remains active, and the Panola County Sheriff's Office is seeking tips through Crimestoppers at 662-209-2011.
This case echoes other reported dangers in online marketplaces, though officials emphasize caution in such meetings without further verification here.