Exclusive documents about the murder of El Taiger have been revealed

Official documents never seen before shed new light on the murder of Cuban reggaeton artist José Manuel Carvajal, known as El Taiger.

The journalist Javier Díaz from Univision 23 obtained exclusive reports from the Medical Examiner's Department of Miami-Dade County and the Miami Police that reconstruct what happened from the moment the artist was found injured by a gunshot on October 3, 2024 until the autopsy was completed on the 25th of the same month.

The forensic report details that El Taiger was shot in the forehead, 2.5 cm below the top of the skull. The bullet penetrated the frontal bone and the brain, causing severe traumatic brain injury.

Despite being transported alive to Jackson Memorial Hospital and undergoing surgery, the artist was unable to recover. It was on October 10 at 3:00 p.m. when Detective Ventura officially reported that the cause of death was a heart attack.

Although the gunshot wound was decisive, cardiac arrest was the immediate outcome, as reflected in the medical records. The autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was the complications arising from the gunshot to the head.

The forensic documents reveal that Carvajal had a pre-existing medical condition, concealed due to privacy, and had a history of daily consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs, including crack, cocaine, ecstasy, Tusi, and Percocet. He was not undergoing medical treatment nor taking prescribed medications.

El Taiger was born in Havana, moved to South Florida over eight years ago, and had no siblings. He was the father of four younger children: Yaliet (14), Luca (8), Sofía (5), and Anita (7).

After her death, her family faced difficulties authorizing the transfer and funeral arrangements, as her maternal grandmother, who held the legal consent, resides in Cuba and is non-verbal.

On the other hand, the main suspect in the murder, identified as Damián Valdez, was , where he signed a document invoking the Miranda Rights and chose not to testify. In this document, which was also written in Spanish, appeared his signature and that of the witnesses present during the reading of his rights.

Although some close to him believe that he could reach an agreement with the prosecution to avoid the trial scheduled for September 15, so far Damián maintains his declaration of innocence.

According to the official report, Carvajal had an argument with his drug supplier, who shot him in the head. The assailant then placed his body in the trunk of a car and abandoned it in the parking lot of a hospital. It was there that 911 was contacted, initiating a chain of police and medical notifications that culminated in the confirmation of his death.

The case, classified as a homicide, continues its legal course, but the documents released by Univision 23 confirm what many feared: the artist's death was not just a crime, but the final chapter of a life marked by the struggle against addiction, uprootedness, and a violent environment.