Missing Phoenix woman among 2 bodies found inside car in west Phoenix parking lot

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Police have confirmed that a missing woman is among two people who were found shot to death in a west Phoenix parking lot earlier this month.

Police believe 25-year-old Doris Aguilar is the victim of homicide.

Aguilar went missing on July 1. On Thursday, Arizona’s Family learned that she had been confirmed dead by the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner and that the date of death was July 7.

That’s the same day her body was discovered.

While it’s believed she was killed before then, investigators won’t know the specific date until the medical examiner’s full report is complete.

Around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 7, police were called to a steakhouse parking lot near 75th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard and found two people shot to death inside a car.

Investigators believe the bodies had been in the car for several days.

The other body was identified as 51-year-old Juan Cuellar, who police say took his own life.

“It’s just all very sick and twisted,” said Steve Fischer, the private investigator hired by Aguilar’s family.

Aguilar’s family and a private investigator believe Cuellar had been stalking her.

Fischer said he found out more about Cuellar’s connection to the car where their bodies were found.

“He rents a car. We know that that what they’re found in it’s a rental car, and most likely that was part of a luring scheme,” Fischer said.

A gun was also recovered inside the car.

Before Cuellar was confirmed dead too, Fischer was looking for him and said there’s an eerie connection to where the car was found with them inside.

“The primary place I was doing surveillance was that parking lot. This is a parking lot that’s shared by a restaurant but the gym, Eos gym, is the major tenant there and that was her primary gym,” Fischer said. “He would stalk her in that parking lot.”

Phoenix Police Sgt. Rob Scherer said a key piece of evidence in this investigation now is surveillance video, starting with where Doris’ car was found.

“Surveillance footage is there. Surveillance video is available where they ended up. Obviously, we have the technology to hopefully put the pieces together of where travel happened and maybe when they came together,” Scherer said.

The private investigator said he learned that when the bodies were found, so was something else, a note he said was written by Cuellar.

“There was a note left. He left a note,” said Fischer. “He tried to stage it to make it look like she killed herself.”

Fischer said there also may be another crime scene that has evidence showing Aguilar did not die inside that car.

“What I’ve been told, there is no bio evidence in the vehicle that she was shot in the car, so it looks like she was moved,” said Fischer.

The private investigator said he promised Aguilar’s family he would solve the parts of this case that were left unknown.

“I’ve talked to them today, the family, and pledge to them I’ll continue to do whatever investigation I can to get those answers,” said Fischer.

Fischer tells Arizona’s Family that Cuellar worked in the same building as Aguilar until he was fired a year ago.

He says the man continued sending threatening messages to Aguilar.

She was reported missing by her family on July 1, and her car was found outside the Christown Spectrum shopping center in central Phoenix.

The car was unlocked, and most of her belongings were still inside.

Detectives continue investigating.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Aguilar’s family with funeral expenses.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.