By CHIEF OF POLICE WADE K. BRANSON
Goshen Police Department

The Goshen Community may feel as though this week is one of the longest ever while waiting to hear additional information pertaining to the homicide investigation status. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we meticulously proceed with the investigation. There are always elements within an investigation which cannot be disclosed publicly.

I can assure every available officer is actively working this case to bring about closure for the families of the victims and for the community.

• Sunday morning, Officers were called to 497 Brookside Manor in reference to a shooting. Present in the home during the incident were Jose Nava-Orozco, his mother, his sister and her two children, and Marco Carmona-Gonzalez, a friend of the family. It was reported to officers that just after 5 a.m. suspect(s) entered the Nava home where they shot and killed both Jose and Marco.

Since Sunday Morning

• The Nava home has been secured by two police officers 24 hours per day to preserve the scene for evidence processing. As of 12:30 p.m. today, March 16, the Nava home has been released back to the family. Evidence technicians worked every day to adequately process the scene and allow the family access once again to their home.
• Through the cooperative spirit between department and cities, the Elkhart Police Department volunteered the assistance of additional investigative manpower and we enthusiastically accepted their assistance. The Elkhart Police Chief provided four of their homicide detectives yesterday and three today to assist our detective bureau with the magnitude of work to be accomplished in this investigation.
• An investigator for the Elkhart County Prosecutor’s office has been assisting our officers everyday of this investigation.
• Our entire detective unit which consists of 10 detectives, two administrators, three evidence technicians, and several patrol officers are assigned to the case. There have been dozens of tips provided, leads followed and interviews conducted. Nearly a third of our department is devoted to this investigation fulltime. The rest of the department stepped up to make certain we are still maintaining are regular duties and every day responsibilities.

We are confident this investigation will be brought to a successful end and though it can never fill the loss felt by the Nava and Carmona families, we hope it may bring them even the smallest amount of closure.