Court records show John Michael De Coste was under community supervision in an earlier case involving his father when David De Coste was found dead.
EL PASO, Texas — A 29-year-old man charged with killing his father in a West El Paso home had previously been prosecuted in a family-violence case involving the same victim and was still under community supervision when his father was found dead, according to court records cited in local reporting.
John Michael De Coste faces a murder charge in the death of his father, 59-year-old David Edward De Coste, along with charges of tampering with or fabricating evidence and continuous violence against family, authorities said. Police allege the fatal confrontation occurred in early August and that David De Coste’s body remained inside the residence for days before it was moved to the garage. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The earlier family-violence history adds context to the homicide investigation now unfolding in El Paso. Court records described in local reports show that an arrest warrant was issued for John De Coste in September 2023 in a continuous-violence-against-family case. In that case, police accused him of striking David De Coste several times in the face and head.
John De Coste later pleaded guilty in the earlier case and received deferred adjudication with three years of community supervision, according to the records. Local reporting said he remained under that supervision when officers found his father dead Aug. 18 at a residence in the 6800 block of Villa Hermosa Drive.
The latest case began after a neighbor called 911 to report that the home’s garage door had remained open for several days and that a strong odor was coming from the property. Officers arriving at about 3:10 p.m. found David De Coste’s body wrapped in plastic in the garage, according to arrest affidavits.
Police said signs that other people were still inside the residence prompted officers to secure the area and call the SWAT and Crisis Management teams. Idalia Nunez De La Torre, 28, eventually came out, followed by John De Coste. Both were arrested as detectives with the Crimes Against Persons Unit investigated the death.
According to the affidavits, De La Torre told investigators she had been living in the home with the father and son since Aug. 2. She said she and David De Coste had kissed when John De Coste was away and that the younger man later walked in on them together. Investigators allege that encounter preceded an argument between father and son that escalated into violence.
John De Coste told detectives the confrontation occurred sometime between Aug. 4 and Aug. 7, although he could not recall the exact date, according to the affidavits. He allegedly said he became upset after seeing his father with De La Torre. He told investigators his father later tried to get a gun and that he pushed him down, causing him to strike his head.
The younger De Coste also allegedly told detectives that he struck and kicked his father during the confrontation. He said he checked on him later and heard him snoring but found him unresponsive the next morning. Authorities allege he did not call emergency services and instead left the body inside the residence.
John De Coste told investigators he avoided calling police because he had an active warrant, according to the affidavit. Police allege the body remained in a bedroom for several days before he ordered a body bag online. Investigators said De La Torre later helped place the body in the bag and move it to the garage. She is also accused of cleaning areas of the home where the body had been.
De La Torre told investigators that she did not witness the physical fight and did not participate in harming David De Coste, according to the affidavits. She has been charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence involving a human corpse, not murder.
An autopsy determined that David De Coste died from blunt-force trauma and a skull fracture, authorities said. Police classified the death as a homicide and allege John De Coste caused the fatal injuries during the confrontation.
John De Coste remained held without bond on the murder charge in the latest available reporting, while De La Torre was held on a $150,000 bond. The homicide case is pending, and no final determination of criminal responsibility has been made.
Author note: Last updated August 23, 2026.