Mystery of Murder Victim Being Found at Wrecker Lot Solved

The mystery of a murder victim being found inside a vehicle at a Nashville wrecker yard last December has been solved.

The Davidson County Grand Jury this week returned a first-degree murder indictment against Jose Pablo Zavala, 38, for killing Orlando Hernandez, 58. Zavala was taken into custody in Dallas, Texas, Friday night. Also indicted in this case is Rosa Carol Torres, 31, who faces charges of evidence tampering and abuse of a corpse. She is in custody in Wilson County.

Hernandez was found dead last December 27 by a South Nashville wrecker service employee. His body had been concealed in the rear seat of his Chevrolet Blazer, which had been towed from 52 Tusculum Road on December 15 at the request of the landlord, who believed it had been abandoned.

The exemplary months-long investigation by Detective Kyle Eicholtz alleges that, as part of a drug-motivated crime, Zavala killed Hernandez inside a residence in the 3700 block of N. Natchez Court, with his body being subsequently put into the rear seat of his SUV at 52 Tusculum Road. Torres is alleged to have assisted in disposing of the body.

Zavala will be returned to Nashville from Texas in the near future.