'He raped me when I was drunk so I killed him': The chilling note an MS-13 member 'planted on his murder victim to mislead investigators' after he 'stuffed underwear in his mouth and scattered photos of a woman on his body'

  • Virginia police found the slain body of Alexander Alfaro Castillo, 40, in May 2018
  • The victim from Herndon had underpants stuffed in his mouth and photos and a note on his chest implying it was a revenge killing for raping a young woman
  • Authorities said the message was planted there to deter them from the real killer
  • Denis Castillo Hernandez, 21, of Herndon, was charged with murder in November
  • The suspect is allegedly a member of the ultra-violent criminal gang MS-13
  • Newly-released court documents revealed the chilling details of the crime scene

Denis Castillo Hernandez (pictured), 21, a possible MS-13 member from Herndon, was charged with first-degree murder in November for killing Alexander Alfaro Castillo, 40, in May 2018

Denis Castillo Hernandez (pictured), 21, a possible MS-13 member from Herndon, was charged with first-degree murder in November for killing Alexander Alfaro Castillo, 40, in May 2018

Police said a chilling note left on the body of a murder victim was planted there by a possible MS-13 gang member to mislead investigators. 

Authorities found Alexander Alfaro Castillo, 40, dead at his mother's house in Herndon, Virginia, in May last year with what appeared to be underwear stuffed in his mouth and the letters 'MS' carved into his forehead. 

There were photos of a young woman placed on his chest next to the message: 'He raped me when I was drunk so I killed him.'  

Recently unsealed search warrants filed in Fairfax County court revealed these disturbing details, according to the Washington Post.  

Police said Castillo 'sustained trauma to the upper body that resulted in his death', but they found no evidence it was a revenge killing.    

'The investigation did not reveal any supporting evidence that a sexual assault occurred,' said Lisa Herndon, a Herndon Police Department spokesperson. 

'Evidence left on the scene appears to have been left in an effort to distract and deter law enforcement investigative measures.'

Police found the body of Castillo (pictured) with underwear stuffed in his mouth and a note on his chest implying it was a revenge killing for raping a young woman
Authorities believe the evidence was planted on Castillo's body to distract them from the real killer

Police found the body of Castillo (pictured) with underwear stuffed in his mouth and a note on his chest implying it was a revenge killing for raping a young woman. Authorities believe the evidence was planted on Castillo's body to distract them from the real killer

Police declined to comment on a motive because it is an active investigation. 

Denis Castillo Hernandez, 21, of Herndon, was charged with first-degree murder on November 26 for killing Castillo. 

The man is allegedly a member of international criminal group MS-13, although police said the slaying was not gang-related.

The victim, Alexander Alfaro Castillo, earned his living working at a Marriott hotel and as a waiter at the Amphora restaurant near his home

The victim, Alexander Alfaro Castillo, earned his living working at a Marriott hotel and as a waiter at the Amphora restaurant near his home

Police said the suspect and victim were not related but 'were known to each other'.

Authorities released few details of the case last year, with the newly released court documents providing the first real insight into the disturbing crime scene. 

Herndon police responded to a report of a dead man on May 26, 2018. 

Castillo was lying on the floor in underwear and a black shirt in a downstairs bedroom of his mother’s home in the 400 block of Patrick Lane.  

Officers called a hazmat team to remove a white powder from the body, which turned out to be salt.   

The Washington Post reports that Castillo’s mother revealed to detectives her son had told an unknown caller 'come pick me up at my mom’s house' on the evening of May 24. 

Neighbors said they heard banging, screaming and Castillo saying he hurt his head early on May 25, according to the search warrants. 

Residents discovered him dead the next day. 

Detectives later learned Castillo had been texting a number that was traced back to the suspect's father.  

Hernandez had a history of violence. 

Fairfax County police took him into custody in May 2018 in connection with a stabbing. Officers found a picture of Castillo in his wallet. 

Hernandez is behind bars at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. His trial starts on July 8. 

Maria Ines Alfaro, the victim’s sister, said on a GoFundMe page that her brother was 'a great person' and that she 'just can't believe someone did this'.

Castillo worked at a Marriott hotel and as a waiter at the Amphora restaurant near his home. 

He studied Agriculture Engineering at the Central American University in Nicaragua, according to his Facebook page. 

He was originally from El Salvador.

MS-13, the gang Hernandez is believed to be a member of, is a transnational criminal organization that has committed horrific acts of violence across America. 

The gang’s motto is ‘mata, viola, controla’ which means ‘kill, rape, control'. 

President Donald Trump said last May that he 'is committed to protecting communities from the violent animals of MS-13'.  

There are more than 10,000 MS-13 members in the US and more than 30,000 worldwide.

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Police say MS-13 member may have left a chilling note on murder victim to mislead them

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