Chattanooga Man Convicted of Burglary and Murder in Online Gaming Friend’s Death

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the conviction of Jonathan Wesley “Wes” Mansfield, a 26-year-old man from Chattanooga, Tennessee, in a jury trial. Mansfield was found guilty on Thursday of charges including Malice Murder, Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Burglary in the First Degree relating to an incident on February 1, 2019.

The case stemmed from an investigation into the death of German “Lee” Castillo, 42, who called 911 to report a burglary at his home just before 6:30 p.m. on the aforementioned date. When officers arrived at Castillo’s residence on Hilburn Drive SE around 7:45 p.m., they found him deceased under the carport, having suffered multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma.

It was revealed during the investigation that Castillo had befriended Mansfield through online gaming, and Mansfield had visited Castillo’s home in Atlanta multiple times. However, tensions arose when Mansfield attempted unauthorized charges on Castillo’s debit card, leading to the termination of their friendship.

Following the murder, investigators tracked Mansfield’s movements from Chattanooga to the crime scene and back using phone data. Mansfield was later arrested at a hospital in Tennessee where he sought treatment for injuries to his hands, claiming self-defense in the killing.

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Nora Polk, who presided over the trial, will schedule a sentencing hearing for Mansfield in the coming weeks. The prosecution was handled by Senior Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Friedman, with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Drew Healy, District Attorney Investigator Tiffany Edwards, and Supervising Victim Advocate Ikwo Nyong. The initial investigation was led by Atlanta Police Department Detective Scott Demeester.