Iliana Martinez-Castillo, 58, was shot and killed in her Port Charlotte, Florida, home on January 7, 2026. According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, her tenant, Jordan Ruddy, has been arrested and is charged with second-degree murder.

Ruddy reportedly told detectives he had noticed a foul odor from Martinez-Castillo’s room and assumed she had been dead for days. He said he was startled when she emerged alive that Wednesday morning. Ruddy alleged that Martinez-Castillo yelled at him, produced a gun, and that a struggle over the weapon followed; he said he gained control and shot her multiple times. After the shooting he walked to a neighbor’s house and asked her to call 911, speaking in a calm manner.

Martinez-Castillo had been pursuing an eviction against Ruddy prior to the shooting. If anyone knew Martinez-Castillo or has information about the eviction or what happened that morning, please share what is known.