On March 1, 2023, three-year-old Jose Gonzalez Rodriguez was shot and killed by his biological father, Jose Gonzalez (also known as Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Testino), age 53, who then turned the gun on himself in a murder-suicide at the Grove at Grand Bay Condominium in Coconut Grove, Miami-Dade County, Florida. The child had been staying with his father legally since the preceding Monday, and the father had sent the child's nanny home earlier that day. When the biological mother could not reach the father or child that evening, she contacted law enforcement and ultimately gained entry to the condo, making the discovery around 8:30 PM. The father had previously expressed suicidal and homicidal ideation in January 2023, telling the mother he felt like he would kill himself and the child, in the context of being upset over the end of their 14-year relationship. The father was also facing imminent federal sentencing for guilty pleas to FCPA violations and bribery connected to Venezuela's state-controlled oil company PDVSA and its U.S. subsidiary Citgo.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
The fatality report states "the father shot and killed Jose, and then shot and killed himself." The Miami Herald reports "A 53-year-old father shot his 3-year-old son dead and then took his own life with a gun." The Daily Mail article states they "were found dead with gunshot wounds."
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
The fatality report explicitly lists "inadequate supervision" as one of the maltreatment allegations: "The abuse report lists maltreatments of death, inadequate supervision and physical injury with Jose Gonzalez Rodriguez as the alleged victim and Jose Gonzalez as the alleged perpetrator."
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The fatality report states "the father shot and killed Jose." The Daily Mail article confirms they "were found dead with gunshot wounds." Being shot constitutes an inflicted injury.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The fatality report states "the father shot and killed Jose, and then shot and killed himself." The Daily Mail headline explicitly describes a "murder-suicide" and states both were "found shot dead in a 'murder-suicide' at a luxury condo."
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
The fatality report identifies Jose Gonzalez as the child's "Father" in the family composition chart and states he is the alleged perpetrator. The report states: "the father shot and killed Jose, and then shot and killed himself." The Daily Mail confirms "the man was the boy's father."
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report states: "the father was upset that him and the mother's 14-year relationship had ended, and the father stated that he felt like he would kill himself and Jose." This describes a classic domestic violence dynamic where a partner threatens lethal violence against a child in the context of relationship dissolution, and the father ultimately carried out the murder-suicide. While the term "domestic violence" is not used explicitly, the threatening behavior in the context of a breakup strongly implies a domestic violence dynamic.
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report states: "the father stated that he felt like he would kill himself and Jose," which directly references suicidal and homicidal ideation by the parent/caregiver, which is a mental health concern.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
The Miami Herald reports that the father had pleaded guilty "in Houston federal court to conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), violating the FCPA and failing to report foreign bank accounts." The Daily Mail confirms "He had pleaded guilty in May 2019" and was awaiting sentencing at the time of the murder-suicide. This guilty plea in 2019 represents a prior criminal history separate from the fatal incident.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the sources. First, the father was facing imminent federal sentencing (scheduled for March 24, 2023) after pleading guilty to FCPA violations and bribery connected to Venezuela's PDVSA and its U.S. subsidiary Citgo, with a $14 million money judgment against him. The Daily Mail reports he had five extensions of sentencing. Second, the fatality report reveals that in January 2023, approximately two months before the murder-suicide, the father explicitly threatened to kill himself and the child: "the father stated that he felt like he would kill himself and Jose." Despite this explicit threat, the report notes "There have been no signs that the father would carry out the action since January," and no apparent protective action was taken to prevent the father's access to the child or firearms. The father had the child legally since Monday (two days before the killing), and he deliberately sent the child's nanny home before the act.
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