On Thursday, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office reported that they have resolved a homicide case concerning a body discovered down a hillside of Highway 9 near mile marker 3.56 in early April.
On April 11, 2023, at approximately 7 p.m., deputies received a call regarding the discovery of a deceased individual. According to detectives, the death is being considered suspicious.
According to the Santa Cruz County Coroner’s Office, the victim has been identified as Oliver Waterfall, a 24-year-old resident of San Jose. According to the autopsy report, the cause of his death was determined to be a gunshot.
According to sources, detectives reportedly dedicated a two-week period to conducting interviews with individuals and reviewing surveillance footage.
On Wednesday, Dennis Nova, 27, from San Jose, and Diana Ornelas, 22, from Santa Clara, were arrested for the murder of Waterfall. According to detectives, the motive is thought to be related to a personal issue.