ATLANTA — A Chattanooga, Tenn. man has been convicted for the murder of an Atlanta man he met through online gaming.
Jonathan Wesley “Wes” Mansfield, 26, is charged with malice murder, two counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and burglary in the first degree stemming from an incident on Feb. 1, 2019.
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Police say victim German “Lee” Castillo, 42, called 911 just before 6:30 p.m. to report that the back door of his home was open and two Xboxes were missing.
Minutes later, investigators say Castillo called back to say he was not sure whether Mansfield was still in the house and that he considered Mansfield to be a threat to him.
When police arrived on scene at Hilburn Drive SE around 7:45 p.m., they found Castillo dead, lying in a pool of blood underneath his carport. He was stabbed several times and sustained blunt force trauma to his head, police said.
During their investigation, police noticed Castillo’s wallet, multiple gaming consoles, gaming accessories and other electronics were missing, along with his black Toyota Corolla.
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Castillo’s husband told police they met Mansfield online through gaming and had paid for Mansfield’s bus tickets to travel from Chattanooga to Atlanta to spend several weekends with them.
Their relationship soured after Castillo learned Mansfield attempted to make unauthorized charges on Castillo’s debit card. They cut ties with him shortly after.
On Feb. 2, 2019 investigators found Castillo’s Toyota abandoned in an alley in Chattanooga and blood was found on the steering wheel, hood and windshield of the car, investigators said.
Using phone data, police were able to track Mansfield’s movements on Feb. 1 from Chattanooga to the crime scene and back. Mansfield was arrested at a local Chattanooga hospital after he was treated for multiple cuts on his hands.
Police say he claimed self-defense as his reasoning for killing Castillo.
He is scheduled to be sentenced in the coming weeks.
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