A puzzling case surrounding the mid-December disappearance of a couple in San Diego, California, has been solved.
Johnny Soto, 52, and his wife Melissa, 45, were last seen on December 20, 2023. Their sudden absence prompted their children to report them missing.
On December 26, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) revealed that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol had found a car in the parking lot of the Golden Acorn Casino in Campo. Inside the car were the deceased bodies of Johnny and Melissa Soto, as verified by family members.
Johnny’s death has been ruled a suicide due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Melissa’s death, caused by strangulation, is being investigated as a homicide, with her husband as the primary suspect.
The Sotos, who had been married for two decades but had separated in July, are survived by their three adult children.
Their youngest son, Vincent, said that his parents’ behavior on the night they disappeared was typical. His father was watching television, and his mother arrived in her car. After asking for some private time to talk, Vincent received a text from his father stating that they had left the house.
That was the last communication from the Sotos. Disturbed by their parents’ extended absence, the children alerted the authorities and reached out to their aunt, Christina Sandoval.
According to Sandoval, the Sotos left without taking any personal items, including clothes, keys, wallets, and Melissa’s phone. Johnny’s phone was turned off a few minutes after they departed.
A neighbor’s surveillance camera recorded the couple’s final moments at their residence. The footage showed Melissa arriving in her car and Johnny moving between the house and the car around 10:30 p.m. before they drove away.
Despite their separation, family members noted that the couple had remained amicable.
Their sudden loss has led to a state of suspended grief within the family. Christmas presents sat untouched under the tree, as the siblings found it too painful to open them.
The SDPD is still investigating the incident and has urged anyone with additional information to get in touch with their homicide unit.