A Gruesome “Present” Left On Christmas Day: The Murder Of Sylvester Diaz-Hernandez
True Crime with Elli Mac
12/12/24
•8m
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On Christmas Eve in 2013, 18-year-old Alexis Valdez was simmering with anger.
Six months earlier, he had moved into his aunt’s basement apartment on North Kildare Avenue in Chicago, sharing the home with her and her boyfriend, 41-year-old Sylvester Diaz-Hernandez.
The arrangement came with clear expectations: Alexis was to go to school, work, and contribute to household expenses. But Alexis had quickly abandoned these responsibilities, igniting tensions that escalated into frequent arguments.
By December, his aunt and Sylvester had reached their limit, and they told Alexis he had to move out. This ultimatum sent him into a rage.
His fury boiled over on Christmas Eve, leading him to commit an unspeakable act of violence. What Alexis did that night would not only shock his family but also leave a community horrified and searching for answers.
In his twisted mind, he believed his actions would serve as the ultimate message — a horrific “present” for his aunt to discover on Christmas Day.
Previous Episode
She Killed Him Because He Didn't Like His Christmas Gifts
December 2, 2024
•11m
On the 25th of December 2013, 37-year-old Melissa Young made a 999 call, reporting that her neighbour, Alan Williamson, refused to leave her flat. Later that evening, she made a second call to 999, this time admitting she had stabbed Alan Williamson at her flat on Glenure Loan in Corstorphine, Edinburgh. When police arrived at Melissa's flat, they found her hands covered in blood and 47-year-old Alan Williamson lying dead behind the front door. Melissa confessed to the officers, saying: "The power it gave me was amazing. I have severe mental health issues. I need to go to Carstairs (psychiatric hospital). We've been friends for ages, but this has been coming for ages." In the kitchen, police discovered a six-inch knife, the weapon used in the attack. Alan Williamson had suffered 29 injuries, including 12 stab wounds to the left side of his chest, 12 to his left upper limb, and five to his left lower limb. Why had Melissa Young brutally murdered her neighbour? Had he really been troubling her and refusing to leave her flat? Or did Melissa Young have her own twisted motive?
Next Episode
The Father Who Wiped Out His Family On Christmas Day
December 18, 2024
•24m
When a chilling 911 call came in at 11:34 AM on Christmas Day in 2011, it immediately set off alarm bells for the Grapevine, Texas police.
The voice on the other end was faint, muttering what sounded like “Help me, help me” before the line went dead. Concerned for the welfare of whoever was inside, officers were dispatched to the home where the call originated.
When officers arrived at the apartment, they were met with an eerie silence after their knocking yielded no response.
When they forced the door open, they were unprepared for the horrifying scene awaiting them.
Inside the living room, surrounded by Christmas presents and torn wrapping paper, lay the bodies of seven people, all shot to death.
The victims, all family members, ranged in age from teenagers to seniors. This was no random act of violence — it was a massacre.
But who were these victims? And what kind of darkness could drive someone to commit such an unspeakable act on Christmas Day?
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