Detective details murder suspect Jose Rodriguez’s history of alleged violence

By D.C. Witness Staff - April 28, 2017
Court | Homicides | Suspects |

At a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Detective Michael Fulton gave a detailed narrative on Jose Rodriguez’s alleged violent history with women.

Rodriguez is facing charges of killing his girlfriend Pamela Butler several years ago. Police have never found Butler’s body.

According to Fulton, in January of 2004, a woman told police Rodriguez-Cruz was acting strange, held her at gunpoint and “forced” her to have sex with him. Rodriguez-Cruz told the woman he could “make a body disappear” and that he could “kill you” tomorrow morning and “no one [will] ever find out.”

In one incident detailed by Fulton, the woman told police Rodriguez-Cruz placed tape around her arms so she could not move. When she told him to let her go pick up her daughter from daycare, Rodriguez-Cruz put the woman in the back of her car with her hands taped together, in her hands while he drove.

Rodriguez-Cruz then took both the child and the woman to his home where he demanded the woman have sex with him.  When she declined, Rodriguez-Cruz threatened to sleep with her daughter or “kill them both.”

When the woman tried to escape, Rodriguez-Cruz fought with her, until a landlord was awoken by sounds of her screaming. The woman stabbed Rodriguez-Cruz, and when the landlord found them, Rodriguez-Cruz was holding the woman at gunpoint.

Fulton said the woman was charged with “malicious wounding” but the case was eventually “dropped.”

Fulton told the court Rodriguez-Cruz told the police it was a “domestic dispute.” Police found tape and gun in Rodriguez-Cruz’s home.

During cross examination,Rodriguez-Cruz’s attorney said they did not understand why the government was talking about a different person when the case was about Rodriguez-Cruz’s connection with Butler’s murder. The government said the suspect’s record of violence with other women was important in this case because it “speaks volumes” about the type of individual he is.

Police arrested Rodriguez-Cruz on April 10th in connection with Butler’s death, and charged him with first-degree murder.  Butler had been missing since February of 2009 and was officially declared dead last July. Rodriguez-Cruz is being held without bond, and expected back in court for a felony status hearing on July 28th.