Friday, February 9, 2024

State v. Jonathan Wesley Mansfield

Decatur, Ga.- DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announces a conviction by jury trial in the case against a Chattanooga, Tennessee man accused of burglarizing and murdering a man he had befriended through online gaming. 

Jurors returned guilty verdicts on Thursday against Jonathan Wesley “Wes” Mansfield, 26, on charges of Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, two counts of Aggravated Assault, and Burglary in the First Degree stemming from an incident on February 1, 2019. 

According to the investigation, German “Lee” Castillo, 42, called 911 just before 6:30 p.m. to report that the back door of his home was open and two Xboxes were missing.  Castillo also noted that a bag belonging to Defendant Mansfield was in his living room.  Just a couple of minutes later, Castillo called back to say he was not sure whether Defendant Mansfield was still in the house and that he considered Mansfield to be a threat to him. 

Officers from the Atlanta Police Department arrived at Castillo’s home on Hilburn Drive SE around 7:45 p.m. to find Castillo dead, lying in a pool of blood underneath his carport.  He had been stabbed several times and sustained blunt force trauma to his head. 

Several items were missing from the home including Castillo’s wallet, multiple gaming consoles, gaming accessories and other electronics.  Investigators discovered Castillo’s black Toyota Corolla was also missing. 

Castillo’s husband told police that the couple had met Defendant Mansfield online through gaming and had paid for Mansfield’s bus tickets to travel from Chattanooga to Atlanta to spend several weekends with them.  Just days prior to his murder, Castillo had gotten into an argument with Defendant Mansfield because Mansfield attempted to make unauthorized charges on Castillo’s debit card.  Bank records show Defendant Mansfield tried to use Castillo’s card to pay himself thousands of dollars.  The couple ended their friendship with Defendant Mansfield after those transactions. 

On February 2, 2019 investigators found Castillo’s Toyota abandoned in an alley in Chattanooga.  Blood was found on the steering wheel, hood and windshield of the car.   

Using phone data, investigators were able to track Defendant Mansfield’s movements on February 1 from Chattanooga to the crime scene and back. 

Investigators arrested Defendant Mansfield at a hospital in Tennessee where he sought medical attention for multiple lacerations on his hands.  He claimed the murder was self-defense. 

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Nora Polk, who presided over the trial, will schedule a sentencing hearing for Defendant Mansfield in the coming weeks.  

The case, assigned to the Homicide and Gangs Unit, was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Friedman with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Drew Healy, District Attorney Investigator Tiffany Edwards, and Supervising Victim Advocate Ikwo Nyong.  Atlanta Police Department Detective Scott Demeester led the initial investigation.