Solved Case — Convicted The Murder of Macy Grace Ditty...
View Full CaseSolved Case
The Nevada Spree Murders
● Convicted
Spree Killing
Nevada
The Victims
Four Lives Taken
Connie Koontz | 1962–2019
| Full Name | Connie Koontz |
| Age | 56 |
| Location | Gardnerville, NV |
| Murdered | January 9–10, 2019 |
Victim One
Connie Koontz
Connie Koontz, 56, lived in her home on James Road in Gardnerville, Nevada, in the Carson Valley community of Gardnerville Ranchos. She shared a close bond with her elderly mother, who lived with her. Connie was a beloved member of her community and was known to her neighbors and those who loved her.
She is survived by her daughter, Madison Koontz-Winkelman, and other family members who have spoken publicly about the impact of her loss. At the time of her murder, Connie was asleep in her home.
Sophia Renken | 1944–2019
| Full Name | Sophia Renken |
| Age | 74 |
| Location | Gardnerville, NV |
| Murdered | Jan. 12–13, 2019 |
Victim Two
Sophia Renken
Sophia Renken, 74, lived on Dresserville Road in Gardnerville, Nevada, just blocks from where Connie Koontz was murdered three days earlier. She was a resident of the Carson Valley and kept dogs, which she cared for on her fenced property.
Sophia was laid to rest at Eastside Memorial Park in Minden, Nevada. Her family and the broader community mourned her death as part of a string of murders that shook the Gardnerville Ranchos neighborhood.
Gerald David | 1937–2019
| Full Name | Gerald "Jerry" David |
| Age | 81 |
| Location | Reno, NV |
| Murdered | January 15–16, 2019 |
Victim Three
Gerald "Jerry" David
Gerald "Jerry" David, 81, and his wife Sharon had been married for 52 years at the time of their murders. The couple were longtime members of the Reno Rodeo Association and were deeply embedded in the northern Nevada community. Their ranch property in south Reno served as a gathering place for family and friends for decades.
Jerry and Sharon were described by family as boundlessly generous, including teaching underprivileged children and opening their home to young people who needed it. Their granddaughter and other family members testified at sentencing about the couple's legacy and the ongoing grief their deaths caused.
Sharon David | 1938–2019
| Full Name | Sharon "Sherry" David |
| Age | 80 |
| Location | Reno, NV |
| Murdered | January 15–16, 2019 |
Victim Four
Sharon "Sherry" David
Sharon "Sherry" David, 80, had spent more than five decades building a life with her husband Jerry on their ranch in south Reno. The couple were inseparable, known throughout the rodeo and ranching communities of northern Nevada for their warmth, involvement, and generosity.
Family members named after Sharon have spoken about how their aunt and uncle's home was a refuge for those who needed it. Sharon's niece Sherri Perry testified that they called the property "Aunt Sherri and Uncle Jerry's Home for Wayward Teens." She and Jerry were murdered just steps from each other in their own home.
01
Background
What We Know
Between January 9 and January 16, 2019, four elderly residents of Washoe and Douglas Counties, Nevada were murdered inside their homes during a nine-day killing spree. The victims, Connie Koontz, Sophia Renken, Gerald David, and Sharon David, were each killed with a single .22 caliber revolver. Each murder was accompanied by a burglary, with the perpetrator stealing valuables and pawning them at shops in nearby Carson City.
The murders began in the Gardnerville Ranchos neighborhood and moved to south Reno. All four victims were elderly, living alone or as a couple, and were targeted opportunistically during what authorities later confirmed were burglaries that escalated to murder. The perpetrator was familiar with at least one victim's property, having previously worked for a landscaping crew that serviced the David residence.
The string of murders prompted a coordinated regional law enforcement response involving the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, the Carson City Sheriff's Department, the FBI, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The nine-day manhunt was resolved when digital tracking of a stolen Apple Watch led investigators to the suspect's mother's apartment in Carson City.
Case Timeline
How It Unfolded
January 3, 2019
Burglary at the David Residence
Jerry and Sharon David report a burglary at their residence at 760 La Guardia Lane, Reno. Missing items include a skill saw, fishing poles, and a hunting bag containing a handgun and ammunition. This is where the perpetrator first obtained a firearm.
January 9–10, 2019
Murder of Connie Koontz
Connie Koontz, 56, is shot once in the head while asleep in her home at 1439 James Road, Gardnerville. The perpetrator enters through an unlocked back door and flees on foot after stealing an iMac, iPhone, Apple Watch, and jewelry. Garage doors and interior access doors are left wide open. There is no evidence of forced entry.
January 12–13, 2019
Murder of Sophia Renken
Sophia Renken, 74, is found dead at her residence at 973 Dresserville Road, Gardnerville. Investigators find the front gate askew and the dog gate open. Renken was shot four times, including once in the face, after being surprised in the kitchen as she walked toward the pantry. A partial .22 caliber round is found in the pantry doorjamb. No items are stolen from her home.
January 15–16, 2019
Murders of Gerald and Sharon David
Sharon David is shot once in the head near the back door of the couple's home at 460 La Guardia Lane, Reno, after letting the dog out. Gerald David is found in the master bedroom, shot once in the head while getting dressed. A thorough burglary occurs, including the theft of jewelry, two empty gun cases, and items from throughout the home. The perpetrator wraps firearms and other items in a tarp and buries them on the property.
January 17–18, 2019
Apple Watch Leads to Suspect
Douglas County investigators obtain a warrant for Apple Corporation records tied to Connie Koontz's stolen Apple Watch. Apple returns data showing an attempt to link the watch to an account connected to an address on Menlo Drive in Carson City, linked to Sonia Guzman. Her 19-year-old son, Wilbur Ernesto Martinez-Guzman, is identified. Law enforcement places both mother and son under surveillance. Jewelry belonging to Koontz and a ring belonging to Gerald David are found at a Carson City pawn shop the following day.
January 19, 2019
Arrest of Wilbur Martinez-Guzman
Martinez-Guzman is arrested in Carson City, initially by ICE on immigration charges. While in temporary holding at the Carson City Sheriff's Department, he waives his rights and confesses to all four murders and a string of burglaries. A search of the 2006 BMW he was driving yields a 9-shot .22 caliber revolver. Forensics confirm the revolver as the weapon used in all four killings.
October 2021
Guilty Pleas Entered
Martinez-Guzman pleads guilty on October 21, 2021, to the murders of Gerald and Sharon David in Washoe County, and on November 9, 2021, to the murders of Connie Koontz and Sophia Renken in Douglas County. In exchange for the guilty pleas, prosecutors agree to drop pursuit of the death penalty.
February 28 – March 4, 2022
Sentencing — Four Life Terms
Martinez-Guzman is sentenced across three jurisdictions over one week. He receives four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, plus an aggregate 214 additional years in prison and $40,000 in fines. His determinate sentence does not expire until September 29, 2222. He is transferred to the Nevada Department of Corrections following the conclusion of all sentencing hearings.
02
Investigation
The Investigation
Following the discovery of Connie Koontz's body on January 10, 2019, detectives with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office began working what initially appeared to be an isolated homicide and burglary. When Sophia Renken was found murdered three days later under similar circumstances, and then Gerald and Sharon David were found on January 16, law enforcement recognized a pattern. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, the Carson City Sheriff's Department, and the FBI joined forces in a coordinated regional investigation.
The break in the case came through digital evidence. Detectives obtained a search warrant for Apple Corporation records tied to the Apple Watch stolen from Connie Koontz's home. Apple returned data showing that someone had attempted to link the watch to an account at 2890 Menlo Drive, Apartment 11, Carson City, an address with no connection to Koontz. That address was tied to Sonia Guzman. Investigators learned she had a 19-year-old son, Wilbur Ernesto Martinez-Guzman, who had been living with her for approximately a year and a half.
During surveillance, investigators also connected Martinez-Guzman to multiple pawn shops in Carson City. Items from each victim were traced to pawn transactions linked to him. On January 18, a Carson City pawnbroker identified Martinez-Guzman as the person who sold Koontz's jewelry and a gold Elks Lodge ring belonging to Gerald David, which he wore while pawning it. The following day, ICE officers arrested Martinez-Guzman on immigration charges. A search of the 2006 BMW he was driving produced a 9-shot .22 caliber revolver. Forensic examination confirmed the revolver was the weapon used in all four murders.
A search warrant executed at his residence recovered additional stolen property from the Koontz and David residences. Detectives also excavated a hole on the David property, exactly as Martinez-Guzman had described during his confession, and recovered wrapped firearms and other items he had buried there.
03
Arrest & Charges
The Accused
Wilbur Ernesto Martinez-Guzman
Wilbur Ernesto Martinez-Guzman
Age 19 at Time of Murders — Stranger / Former Landscaping Employee
Charges: 4 counts of murder with use of a deadly weapon, 4 counts of burglary while in possession of a firearm, 1 count of burglary, 3 counts of possession of stolen property, 1 count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm
Arrested: January 19, 2019 — Carson City, NV
Plea: Guilty (October and November 2021)
Sentence: 4 consecutive life terms without possibility of parole + 214 additional years + $40,000 in fines. Sentenced February 28 through March 4, 2022, across Washoe County, Douglas County, and Carson City.
Current Status: Incarcerated at Ely State Prison, Nevada. Determinate sentence does not expire until September 29, 2222. Subject to an ICE immigration hold.
Key Evidence: Forensically matched .22 caliber revolver, Apple Watch digital tracking data, pawn shop records and identification by store owner, stolen property recovered from vehicle and residence, full confession, buried items recovered on David property
In Memoriam
They Are Not Forgotten
Connie Koontz, Sophia Renken, Gerald David, and Sharon David were each living full lives when they were taken. They were neighbors, community members, partners, and parents. Connie was a mother, and her daughter Madison carries her forward. Sophia was a fixture in the Carson Valley who was laid to rest among the mountains she called home. Jerry and Sherry David built something rare together over 52 years, a ranch, a marriage, and a legacy of genuine care for others that outlasted the worst that could be done to them.
Their families were forced to relive every detail of their deaths across three years of legal proceedings and three separate sentencing hearings. They showed up, they testified, and they made sure each victim was named, remembered, and honored in a court of law.
The fear that gripped the Gardnerville Ranchos community and greater northern Nevada during those nine days in January 2019 has not been forgotten, and neither have the four people at the center of it. Their names belong in the record.
"It is humanly impossible to suffer a tragedy of this magnitude and ever be the same."
Kari Powning, granddaughter of Gerald and Sharon David — Washoe County Sentencing, February 2022
Sources
Washoe County District Attorney's Office Press Release, March 2022 | Nevada Appeal, March 2022 | KOLO 8 News Now, February–March 2022 | Record Courier, April 2022 | Las Vegas Sun, March 2022 | Carson Now, March 2022 | Wikipedia: 2019 Nevada Killing Spree | Martinez-Guzman Arrest Affidavit via Odd Murders and Mysteries | Reno Gazette-Journal
More Cases
Related Cases
The Murder of Tasia Fortune
Murder Case — Jackson, Mississippi The Murder of Tasia Fortune...
View Full CaseSerial Killer: Harvey Marcelin
Serial Killer Harvey Marcelin was convicted of murdering three women...
View Full Case