A medical examiner has ruled a North Carolina tattoo artist’s death a homicide months after his body was found partly buried on a college campus in the wake of his disappearance, according to reports.
A Catawba College employee discovered Carlos Enrique Leon Aristoteles, 38, dead in a remote area of the Catawba College Ecological Preserve, located in Salisbury, on June 3, authorities said. The location was more than 40 miles away from where the victim was last seen alive.
The discovery was made after Aristoteles was reported missing from Charlotte in May, the Salisbury Police Department said in a June 4 news release.
Aristoteles, a father of two children, worked as a tattoo artist in Charlotte, WSOC-TV reported.
The North Carolina State Medical Examiner recently determined Aristoteles was shot and stabbed, according to an autopsy report viewed by the TV station.
Aristoteles’ sister, Ana Tiznado, told the TV station that she wants justice for her brother and said that his children “deserve answers.”
“Anybody who knew Carlos, they got to witness a very noble person, a strong-minded person,” Tiznado said of her brother.
Prior to the discovery, his family and friends were “extremely” concerned for his “safety and well-being,” the department said in a May 29 news release.
After Aristoteles went missing, Tiznado said she took time off from her job and flew from California to North Carolina to search for him, WSOC-TV reported. She searched for three weeks until she needed to fly back home.
Salisbury police have said Aristoteles was not a Catawba College student after his body was found on the school’s campus, which is located about a 45-mile drive northeast from Charlotte.
“Obviously, it’s not just like somebody killed him and he was left for dead,” Tiznado said while speaking with WCNC-TV, referring to how her brother was found buried.
The medical examiner’s report on Aristoteles’ death didn’t indicate whether a suspect has been identified in connection with the homicide, per the TV station.
A potential motive for the killing is unclear.
Tiznado told WCNC-TV that her brother was a “good man,” describing him as a “respectful” and “loyal person.”
“Doesn’t matter if he knew you for a day or ten years or all his life. He had strong values,” Tiznado said.
The Salisbury Police Department said in June that: “Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Detective Lieutenant Casper at 704-638-5333. Anonymous tips may also be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 1-866-639-5245.”
