Where is Monica Diaz now?

On July 21, 2000, straight-A high-school student Monica Diaz brutally murdered her uncle and three cousins.

The story of the murders and Monica Diaz’s subsequent trial is the subject of a recent episode of Snapped: Killer Couples.

Why did Monica Diaz kill her family? And where is she now? Let’s take a closer look at her case.

Who did Monica Diaz murder?

The victims were Diaz’s uncle Richard Flores, 42; and her cousins Richard Jr., 17; Sylvia, 13; and Matthew, 10. Diaz’s aunt, Sylvia Flores, survived the attack.

What did Monica Diaz do?

Monica Diaz moved in with Richard, Sylvia, and her cousins when her mom passed away.

On July 20, 2000, when Diaz was just 16 years old, she allegedly stabbed to death the four members of her family. She didn’t do this alone. Her boyfriend, Michael Naranjo, was complicit in the crime. It’s believed that she left a door unlocked so Naranjo could enter the house in the early hours of the morning, which is when the killings took place. They then moved through the house, where Nanranjo, with Diaz’s help, brutally stabbed each family member.

When Sylvia Flores thwarted Naranjo’s attack, he quickly left the house and rode back to his parent’s house on his bicycle. (source)

At her trial, Diaz claimed that she had nothing to do with the murders. According to her, the plan was to stage a break-in as a means of bringing her aunt and uncle closer together. (source)

However, her fingerprints and palm prints were found on the murder weapons, meaning it wasn’t only Naranjo who completed the killings.

What happened to Monica Diaz?

During a search of the Flores home by investigators, the knives were found, as well as a backpack that connected Naranjo to Diaz. They also found a box of disturbing letters written between the two killers. In one letter, Diaz described killing as her “life’s work.”

She wrote:

“I want to see the blood on their faces. I want to be a mass murderer … The best job is to kill people professionally [sic]. I mean Hitler only lived for a few years and he killed lots, though he did it the cowardly way. Imagine how many victims I’d have if I lived 800 years?” (source)

Other evidence was found, including a murder check-off list. The found items were enough to charge Diaz and Naranjo with the murders. On July 26, 2000, the two were arrested. Shortly after, the trial began and the couple were convicted of the brutal slayings.