Reno, Gardnerville murders: Martinez-Guzman faces preliminary hearing in Carson City

The man suspected of murdering four people in Reno and Gardnerville is set for a preliminary hearing this week for burglary-related charges in Carson City.

Wilber Martinez-Guzman is scheduled for the hearing at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the Carson City Justice Court. He faces 36 counts of felony weapons charges, burglary charges, possession of stolen items and immigration charges.

He also faces murder charges in Washoe County, but a court hearing has not been set yet. As of Tuesday, it was not known when the murder case against him would proceed. 

An announcement on Martinez-Guzman will also be made at the upcoming preliminary hearing, Carson City court administrator Maxine Cortes said in a recent email to the Reno Gazette Journal.

Cortes said she could not say what the announcement will be about.

The details of the case

The 20-year-old man was accused of killing Connie Koontz, Sophia Renken and Jerry and Sherri David in a crime spree that started in early January. He allegedly stole a .22-caliber handgun and shot and killed all four victims, court records show.

Last week, Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks and Douglas County District Attorney Mark Jackson filed formal murder charges against Martinez-Guzman. The two counties will jointly prosecute the case.

Both Hicks and Jackson plan to personally prosecute the case.

Carson City Deputy District Attorney Melanie Brantingham said the property charges will remain separate from any murder charges filed in Washoe County.

Attempts at reaching Brantingham for further comment were unsuccessful on Tuesday. Calls made to a representative for the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office were not immediately returned.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office said Jackson declined to comment on the case. Any questions were referred back to officials in Washoe County.

Where is Martinez-Guzman?

Martinez-Guzman was being held on a $500,000 bail at the Carson City jail. He was expected to be transferred to the Washoe County jail, but a timeline has not been established on that transfer.

Once he is transferred to the Washoe County jail, he will be held without bail.

Paige Hughes, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said a detainer was lodged against Martinez-Guzman.

“If he’s released from jail, law enforcement will contact us, and we will pick him up and we will start the proceedings for his deportation,” she said.

Martinez-Guzman, a citizen of El Salvador, has no prior criminal or immigration history. It is unknown how he entered the country, Hughes said.

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