Deputies say evidence gathered during a fast-moving missing-person investigation tied Jose L. Proano to the death of 71-year-old Jorge Vazquez-Escutia.

ORLANDO, Fla. — What began as a search for a missing 71-year-old man became a homicide investigation within about a day after Orange County deputies found his remains in three pieces of luggage and arrested his stepson, 44-year-old Jose L. Proano. Authorities charged Proano with first-degree murder in the death of Jorge Vazquez-Escutia, whose disappearance had prompted concern from relatives after they found his personal belongings at his home.

The case developed rapidly after family members contacted authorities early Aug. 4. According to an arrest affidavit and reports citing Orange County sheriff’s investigators, relatives said Vazquez-Escutia’s cellphone, wallet and keys were still at the Orlando-area residence. His vehicles also remained there, and family members considered the circumstances unusual. They reported seeing what appeared to be blood on an outside fence. Investigators later said testing linked the blood to Vazquez-Escutia, moving the inquiry away from the possibility that he had simply wandered away and toward a suspected killing.

The sheriff’s office initially appealed to the public for help locating Vazquez-Escutia, saying he had memory-loss issues and had last been seen around the beginning of Aug. 4 near Hal Court. Behind that public search, however, detectives were gathering information that pointed toward a more serious explanation for his disappearance. Investigators said they learned that people connected to Proano had contacted relatives with claims that he had said he killed his stepfather. Detectives also received information from a woman who reported that Proano was responsible for Vazquez-Escutia’s death. Those allegations became part of a broader case investigators sought to test against physical and electronic evidence.

A neighbor’s surveillance system supplied one of the most important pieces of that evidence, according to the affidavit. Detectives said footage from Aug. 2 showed a man matching Proano’s description entering the property by going over a wall and remaining around the back of the home for an extended period. Later footage showed the same man moving luggage from the property. Investigators described the recordings as showing apparent human remains being placed into the luggage before the man left with the suitcases. The affidavit’s description is an allegation presented by investigators and has not been tested at trial.

Detectives then compared the video timeline with cellphone information. Investigators said records placed Proano’s phone in the area of the residence during the same period when the person appeared on surveillance footage. When detectives questioned Proano, he initially denied being at the home, according to the affidavit. Investigators said he later acknowledged that his phone had been there and admitted he had been watching the residence, while continuing to deny killing Vazquez-Escutia. The combination of the surveillance recording, phone information and his statements became a major part of the probable-cause case assembled by deputies.

Investigators also focused on the relationship between the two men. Proano told detectives he had ongoing problems with his stepfather and believed Vazquez-Escutia was interfering with his ability to see his mother, according to the affidavit. Proano also expressed concern about his mother, who investigators said has dementia, and believed his stepfather was leaving her alone. The affidavit said Proano had repeatedly asked law enforcement to conduct welfare checks on family members. Investigators characterized the frequency of those calls as “nearing the level of obsession.” That language reflects the investigators’ description in the court record, not a medical or independent assessment of Proano’s state of mind.

The missing-person investigation reached its most consequential point late Aug. 4 when detectives searched along roads near the home. Authorities found three pieces of luggage containing Vazquez-Escutia’s remains, according to the sheriff’s office and court records. Investigators reported that luggage tags carried the name of Proano’s mother. News reports citing the affidavit placed the luggage near White Road and surrounding streets not far from the residence. Officials have released some details about how the remains were recovered, but the essential evidence is that authorities identified the remains as Vazquez-Escutia and alleged that the luggage was used in an effort to conceal and remove his body.

Witness statements added another layer to the case. The affidavit says friends of Proano contacted family members and reported that he had made statements indicating he killed or attacked his stepfather. A second person told investigators that Proano had called seeking help connected with the incident. Authorities have not publicly disclosed every detail of those reported conversations, and portions of the affidavit’s account were redacted. The witness allegations therefore remain evidence prosecutors may seek to develop or corroborate as the criminal case moves through court rather than established findings of fact.

Deputies arrested Proano on Aug. 5. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said investigators believed he killed and dismembered Vazquez-Escutia and then tried to conceal the homicide by moving the remains in suitcases. The agency said investigators were not looking for another suspect and told the public there was no continuing threat connected with the case. A judge reviewed the arrest the following day, and Proano appeared in court wearing an Orange County jail uniform. He was ordered held without bond on the first-degree murder charge, according to local court coverage.

The arrest also brought attention to an earlier criminal case involving Proano. Court records reviewed by Fox News showed he had been on probation following a 2023 plea in a case that began in 2022. The prior case included felony convictions for burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and criminal mischief, according to a public docket summary. Authorities subsequently initiated proceedings alleging a probation violation after the murder arrest. The earlier convictions are separate from the murder charge and do not establish whether Proano committed the crime alleged in Vazquez-Escutia’s death.

Accounts from the neighborhood offered a different view of the case by describing the man whose death was at the center of the investigation. A neighbor interviewed by News4JAX recalled Vazquez-Escutia as helpful and willing to assist with work around the yard and equipment. Another fundraising description cited by Fox News called him kind and generous. Those recollections stand apart from the affidavit’s focus on conflict within the family and show how the investigation affected people who knew Vazquez-Escutia outside the dispute investigators described between him and Proano.

The available evidence remains allegations until tested in court. Proano’s public defender declined to discuss the case with Fox News in August, saying the client had not authorized the office to comment. Court information reported after his arrest showed the murder case remained active, and a Sept. 14 docket summary listed a written plea of not guilty and waiver of arraignment. It also listed future pretrial proceedings, though court schedules can change. Proano is presumed innocent unless proved guilty. The sheriff’s office has said the investigation uncovered no outstanding suspects.

Author note: Last updated September 20, 2026.