In the small coal-mining town of Freeland, Pennsylvania, 60-year-old Cuban exile José Herrán disappeared in mid-October 2015, leaving behind a legacy of unanswered questions. With close connections to relatives overseas, Herrán worked as an FBI confidential informant, providing information on drug and weapons trafficking in the Philadelphia region. However, this dangerous profession reportedly made him a target.

Enlisted under false pretenses to a secluded trailer belonging to an acquaintance, Roberto Torner, José Herrán was murdered by Torner’s friend, David Alzugaray. His corpse was subsequently butchered with a hatchet, parts incinerated in pits on the land, and remains tossed into the adjacent Lehigh River. The murder stemmed from fear that Herrán was assisting authorities against local drug enterprises.

What made the case truly chilling was the silence that followed: on November 17, 2015—his mother’s birthday—José Herrán never called, as he did each year. This sparked a frantic search and marked a turning point steeped in fear. The case of José Herrán is featured in Investigation Discovery’s *The Friday the 13th Murders*. Tune in to Season 1, Episode 4, titled *Feared Silent*, airing Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 10 p.m. ET on Investigation Discovery. All-new episodes will be available the next day on ID GO.

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### The Friday the 13th Murders: The Disappearance of José Herrán

José Herrán, born in Cuba, had settled in the Freeland area of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, by 2015. At age 60, he led a modest life, often staying in rooming houses like one at 559 Washington Street, owned by Roberto Torner.

Herrán maintained close ties with his mother, Virginia Rodríguez, residing in West New York, New Jersey. He called her regularly, especially on her birthday each November 17, according to the *Times Leader*. Records show his last social media activity was in June 2015, and his phone made outbound calls until October 21 that year.

Around mid-October, Torner—a 47-year-old with prior drug convictions—invitied Herrán to his remote property at 6851 North Buck Mountain Road in Foster Township, claiming they would burn trash. This was Herrán’s last confirmed sighting.

No one reported him missing immediately, as his transient lifestyle raised few alarms. However, by late November, Rodríguez grew worried. She last spoke with her son on November 13 or 14, 2015—a Friday the 13th weekend—when he promised to call her on her birthday two days later. When the call never came, her concern deepened.

Interestingly, phone records contradicted her memory, showing no activity after October 21. Nevertheless, Rodríguez alerted authorities, leading state police to classify it as a missing persons case.

Herrán had no major debts or conflicts beyond past associations with low-level crime. Over the years, tips trickled in pointing to Torner, who reportedly solicited others to harm Herrán at least 12 times in fall 2015, according to a cooperating witness.

By 2018, searches of the Buck Mountain site began, but Herrán remained officially missing, his body unrecovered. The delay highlighted challenges inherent in rural investigations, where isolation can conceal dark secrets. Rodríguez kept her phone number active, hoping for news as the case shifted from absence to suspected foul play.

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### Uncovering the Murder and Evidence

Investigators from the Pennsylvania State Police, the FBI, and the DEA pieced together José Herrán’s fate through persistent leads.

In 2018, forensic teams processed Torner’s trailer, removing carpet to reveal a subfloor that had been hastily painted over bloodstains testing positive for human blood. Three burn pits on the property yielded bone fragments, though DNA results were inconclusive.

Search warrants at multiple Freeland sites uncovered knives, hatchets, mallets, ammunition, and a .22-caliber handgun—the suspected murder weapon.

Prosecutors alleged that Torner drove Herrán to the trailer between October 13 and November 17, 2015, where Alzugaray shot him once in the back of the head in the bedroom, as reported by the *Times Leader*. They then dismembered the body, soaking blades in bleach, smashing bones into feed bags, burning clothes and parts in pits, and discarding flesh in the Lehigh River near White Haven.

Herrán’s role as an informant had exposed Torner’s heroin operations, fueling the deadly plot. Torner had even begged associates to kill Herrán earlier to prevent further problems.

Witness accounts ultimately broke the case. Liza Robles, Torner’s fiancée, described his confession after the killing and was granted immunity for her testimony.

FBI Agent Thomas D’Amico confirmed José Herrán’s critical role in tracking Philadelphia-area drug trafficking.

Rodríguez’s emotional account of the missed birthday call underscored the human toll of the case.

By February 2020, nearly a dozen warrants and surveillance tied Torner and Alzugaray to the conspiracy, shifting the probe from missing person to homicide.

Though no full body was ever recovered, evidence painted a clear picture of calculated disposal in a hidden rural spot, according to the *Times Leader*.

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### Trials, Convictions, and Justice

In May 2023, Roberto Torner’s Luzerne County Court trial lasted six days before Judge David W. Lupas. Prosecutors presented forensic and witness testimony, charging Torner with first-degree murder on the grounds of José Herrán’s betrayal as an informant.

A jury found Torner, aged 50 at trial time, guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation. Testimonies included that of Alzugaray, who claimed self-defense but acknowledged the shooting, and Richard DeStefano, who linked Torner to previous body dumpings in New Jersey.

In August 2023, Torner was sentenced to life without parole, plus 20 to 40 years on related charges. He was already serving federal time for drug offenses, per WNEP.

David Alzugaray, 54, pled guilty in October 2023 to third-degree murder, conspiracy, and abuse of a corpse, receiving 17 to 45 years in state prison. His cooperation was instrumental in Torner’s case.

Charges dated back to February 2020, when District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce and the DEA filed homicide charges following years of joint investigations.

Torner appealed in 2025, citing prejudicial testimony, but the Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed the verdict in July, citing a common plan in the crimes.

Rodríguez attended the trials, seeking answers despite never recovering her son’s body. The verdicts highlighted the dangers faced by informants and the shadow of crime in small towns.

As of October 2025, no additional appeals have been reported, bringing closure to a decade-long saga of investigation and family grief.

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### Final Thoughts

The case of José Herrán serves as a stark reminder of the perils faced by those who stand against drug trafficking networks. It also reveals the challenges of uncovering truth and justice in isolated communities where fear and silence often prevail.

To learn more about this gripping story, watch *The Friday the 13th Murders* Season 1, Episode 4: *Feared Silent* on Investigation Discovery.

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