On December 19, 2023, in Big Spring, Texas, 55-year-old David Holsenbeck was fatally shot. The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. in the 1400 block of Settles. Emergency responders transported Holsenbeck to Scenic Mountain Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly before midnight. An autopsy was scheduled for December 22 to confirm the cause of death.
The primary suspect in Holsenbeck's murder is 25-year-old Ray Alvarado.
Earlier that day, Alvarado was allegedly involved in multiple criminal activities, including the shooting of 34-year-old Rosendo Deanda at a convenience store on South Gregg Street and the theft of a gray Chevrolet pickup from the 200 block of West 2nd Street. Deanda was critically injured and transported to University Medical Center in Lubbock.
Following Holsenbeck's shooting, law enforcement officers located the stolen vehicle and apprehended Alvarado after a brief foot pursuit in the 2300 block of South Runnels. He was arrested and booked into the Howard County Jail on charges including the murder of 32-year-old Christopher Semmelmann, whose body had been discovered on December 15, and an outstanding burglary warrant. Alvarado's bonds were set at $1 million for murder and $500,000 for burglary.
In the aftermath of Holsenbeck's death, his family sought assistance with funeral expenses through a GoFundMe campaign, noting that he had no insurance.
As of December 27, 2024, Alvarado has been indicted for the murder of Semmelmann and convicted of a March 2018 burglary of habitation charge. He also faces charges for the murders of Holsenbeck and Deanda. A jury trial date for the Semmelmann murder indictment has not been set.
The investigations into these incidents are ongoing, and authorities continue to seek information from the public to aid in their inquiries.
