Bio

Jose Luis Villegas Jr. was born on April 14, 1975, in Nueces County, Texas. He grew up in a Hispanic family in a challenging environment. Little is publicly known about his early childhood, but it is clear that his life was marked by difficulties.

As a young man, he struggled with various issues and had a troubled upbringing. He dropped out of school after completing the ninth grade and had limited formal education. Villegas held a few jobs over the years, including positions as a cook, dishwasher, and laborer.

Throughout his early life, he faced multiple conflicts with the law. He had a history of arrests and convictions for various offenses, including possession of inhalant paraphernalia, burglary, and assault. These early experiences may have shaped his behavior and life choices.

Despite these troubles, he formed relationships, including a significant one with Erida Perez Salazar, with whom he had a tumultuous relationship. The couple's issues would later lead to serious conflicts, especially as Villegas faced legal troubles.

In his late twenties, he was involved in a series of events that ultimately culminated in his arrest on January 22, 2001. At the time of his arrest, he was out on bond for a sexual assault charge and was scheduled to go to trial shortly after the incident for an unrelated case involving domestic violence. These events set the stage for a tragic outcome that would change many lives forever.

Jose Luis Villegas Jr. was executed on April 16, 2014, after being convicted of multiple murders, yet most of his early life remained a series of struggles marked by hardship, conflict, and a downward spiral into crime.

Murder Story

On January 22, 2001, Jose Luis Villegas Jr. murdered three people in Nueces County, Texas. The victims were his ex-girlfriend, Erida Perez Salazar, her three-year-old son, Jacob, and her mother, Alma Perez. Early that morning, Villegas arrived at the Perez home after a night of drug use. He and Erida had consumed about $200 worth of cocaine.

Alma Perez returned home after taking Erida's daughter to school and discovered Villegas inside the house. Alma had previously warned Erida not to let him in. When she confronted him, Villegas attacked her with a kitchen knife, stabbing her multiple times. After Alma was fatally injured, he went to the bedroom and stabbed both Erida and Jacob.

Later that morning, Erida's father, Lionicio Perez, came home and found his wife, Alma, dead in a pool of blood. He went for help and quickly returned to find Erida and Jacob also lifeless. The police arrived shortly after and learned from a neighbor that she had seen Villegas leaving the house.

At around 9:30 a.m., the police spotted Villegas driving Erida's car. A high-speed chase ensued, ending when Villegas fled on foot but was ultimately apprehended. When arrested, he was found with three baggies of cocaine. After being read his rights, Villegas confessed to the murders, explaining his drug use and the confrontation with Alma prior to the stabbings. He mentioned that he had planned to return to the home to overdose on cocaine but fled when he saw the police.

He was charged with capital murder and a jury found him guilty on May 9, 2002. They sentenced him to death on May 21. After several legal appeals, Villegas was executed by lethal injection on April 16, 2014.