A man pled guilty Thursday in connection with a homicide that occurred on the Natchez Trace Parkway six years ago.
According to court documents and statements made in open court, Christian Mitchel Mondragon Gonzales, 29, of Mexico, had an altercation with his roommate on Sept. 23, 2018. The victim left the Ridgeland residence before Mondragon Gonzales sought after him.
Mondragon Gonzales then convinced the victim to go for a ride with him, court documents continued. He then drove the victim to a location on the Natchez Trace Parkway where they both got out of the car. Mondragon Gonzales shot the unarmed victim multiple times, leaving him dead before his body was discovered the next day by an individual walking along a trail on the federal parkway.
Mondragon Gonzales pled guilty to second-degree murder and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 12, 2025, and faces a maximum of life in prison.
The FBI, the Natchez Trace Parkway Police, and the Ridgeland Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bert Carraway is prosecuting the case.
