On Friday the 3rd my friend Rodrigo was tragically murdered while he was on a date with a mysterious women he met on Bumble. They found his car on I-20 and there was evidence that someone was outside the car and shot him twice. He was shot in the head and there was nobody else in the car but him. Just yesterday they had his funeral and I sadly could not attend due to circumstances with work. It’s been very difficult since I found out about this and I am torn knowing that he was murdered and there hasn’t been a suspect found. Most of all though I feel like it just isn’t real. The reality of it hasn’t set in and I’m not sure if it will set in for a while. 

I always expect a random text from him. Usually it would be about how I was doing or what my next trip was. He was always interested and was always trying to stay updated while also handling his busy lifestyle. He had a kind heart and was always helping out others. He even helped a child locate her mother on one of our hikes. He didn’t skip a beat and jumped right in to help her out. Aside from that he really was someone that made you feel welcome, even if you didn’t know him at all. He had this big childlike smile that made you smile along with him and was always finding ways to make the conversations interesting. 

Not only that but he was a lover for animals. He wouldn’t say it out loud but you could tell by the way he treated his dog, Ataneq. Ataneq was a rescue case and he just so happened to have walked into his friend’s house. Nobody knows where exactly he came from but his friend know that he needed help. Ataneq was skinny, hair all matted, and skittish at every little noise. So he got Rodrigo to help out. Rodrigo made sure to give Ataneq all the love, food, and exercise he needed. He made sure to let his new furry friend know that he was there for him. That he was there to protect him and that he would never go hungry again. 

Every time I visited him I could tell how much that dog loved him and respected him. Ataneq followed him everywhere, listened to his commands, and got excited every time his owner would say they were going to CrossFit. 

Rodrigo was just trying to live a simple and comfortable life. He had a house that he was slowly working on and he even went as far as to have me make a painting for him. It was his very first time buying art. He went to CrossFit three to four times a week and kept a pretty stable diet. He worked five days out of the week and on the weekends he was either at home with Ataneq or out with his friends. He really did live his life in the best way he could. It’s so hard to digest that he is gone. I still am waiting for his response. Yet I know that it will never come and I know that he is in a better place. I sincerely hope that they find who did this to him and bring him to justice. Nobody should have to go through this sort of tragedy. 

*Rodrigo Castillo 8/3/18