MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — We're continuing to cover the unsolved homicides within the City of Milledgeville and Baldwin County.
We covered one of the oldest unsolved cases from the city last week about Diquan Key, who was just 21 when he was shot and killed outside of Soul Master’s Barbecue and Lounge on North Glynn Street.
13WMAZ’s Jessica Cha tells you about another case. The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office says this is their oldest active cold case in their records.
Francisco Castillo was 33 years old when he opened his front door two days after Christmas– December 27, 2013– and was immediately shot in the chest.
Major Brad King says deputies responded to a 911 call from 108A Selma Drive. He says they found Castillo laying face down at his front door.
"As soon as he opened the door, he suffered one gunshot wound to the chest. I will tell you it was from a shotgun,” King explains.
"I'll never be able to replace Francisco,” says Brent Boone, owner of Environmental Care Landscaping.
He was Castillo's employer and friend. Boone says they met in 2003 and started working together a year later.
"He was a genuine person, he was a hard worker, and he was very, very dedicated to his job,” Boone explains.
He says it was raining when he got the call about Castillo's death. Boone says he was supposed to have met up with him later that evening.
"I just sat there in silence, not believing it happened,” he says.
Boone says it bothers him that Castillo's death hasn't been solved, but hopes the story brings attention to it again.
"Somebody says, ‘Hey, I know that this happened, so I can give a call in,’ and reveal information. I think it's a helpful aid,” Boone says.
Major Brad King says Castillo had two other people in the home with him at the time, but no one saw what happened. He says due to a language barrier, neighbors called law enforcement after hearing the gunshot.
King says he believes this attack was premeditated because it happened so quickly.
“We just have not found that crucial piece of evidence or received a statement from anybody that truly, truly pointed us to who the killer was,” he explains.
King says they have a suspect in mind, but due to lack of physical evidence, witnesses, and with Castillo being from Mexico, there was a language barrier as well.
He says they need the public's help.
"Someone just has not come forward if they know something. It drives me absolutely insane when I know somebody did something, but I can’t prove it.”
King says in 2013, social media wasn't as popular as now, and there weren't as many security cameras around either, so even as technology has evolved to help with investigations, it wouldn't help much with a case this old.
King urges folks to contact the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office or CRIMESTOPPERS at 1-877-68- CRIME if you have any information about this case.
He says no piece of information is too small or insignificant and could be the missing piece to the puzzle.