Friends' Concern Prompts Investigation Uncovering Murder of Xiaoxia Zhang (Munoz)

Leanna Lehman
Today, 10:43 AM (update 12/10/2024 10:56 AM)

On November 20, Daniel Munoz (71) was arrested and taken into custody on charges of Open Murder. According to information released by the Reno Police Department, their office initiated a joint investigation on November 17 with the Churchill County Sheriff's Office regarding the disappearance of a 40-year-old woman that ultimately became much more.

Reno Justice Court documents report that the Reno Police Department (PPD) received a phone call on November 17 from a concerned party that stated they were friends with Xiaoxia Zhang – the wife of Daniel Lee Munoz and the mother of their four children, ages 4-11. The caller indicated they had not heard from Zhang since November 8 and requested a welfare check on the family at their Pleasant Oak Trail house in Reno. No one appeared home when officers arrived. However, neighbors reported seeing Zhang the day before, on November 7, when Munoz helped them move a package into their vehicle.

At or near the same time as the report made to RPD, the Churchill County Sheriff's Office also received a call from a concerned individual requesting a welfare check on the family at their Fallon residence on Del Rio Drive. When the deputies arrived no one was home.

On November 26, The Fallon Post learned of a November 21 post on BCBay.com, a highly utilized online and news media platform for the Greater Vancouver, British Columbia Chinese community. Roughly translated into English, the post was titled, "Emergency: Reno Mother Missing for 14 Days, Friends Share Disturbing Details."

According to the article, Zhang Xiaoxia – English name Xiaoxia Zhang, was last in contact with friends on WeChat on November 8. By November 11, however, her phone appeared to be switched off. Friends described Zhang as "a devoted mother who rarely ventured far due to her limited driving ability and her focus on raising her children." The article stated Zhang previously attended the University of Nevada, Reno, and was active on social media, though her Facebook updates ceased abruptly in April 2022.

One of the most concerning factors for friends, according to BCBay.com, was that Zhang's husband reportedly did not immediately file a missing person report, claiming instead that she had "returned to China." Friends became suspicious and contacted her parents, who confirmed they had not heard from her. Only after repeated failed attempts to reach Zhang did a friend file a police report.

Court documents affirm that Munoz told Churchill County investigators that "his wife had left either on a Thursday or Friday, and he believed she had gone to Beijing, China, and that she was relatively independent, and he wasn't concerned about her." The document also verifies Zhang's friends' assertion that her mother, in China, could not contact her daughter and had not communicated with Zhang since the morning of November 8.

The article further contends that shortly after Zhang's disappearance, her husband withdrew their four children from school and moved out of Reno. Speculation suggests he relocated to Fallon, Nevada. Reno PD detectives have since confirmed that Munoz withdrew the children from school.

Another disturbing aspect of Zhang's silence was her unlikely maternal behavior, said friends. Those closest to her found it implausible that Zhang, a devoted mother, would voluntarily abandon her children without contact. "Mothers don't leave their children willingly for extended periods," said one commenter. By then, concerns had arisen that external forces may have played a role in Zhang's disappearance. Zhang with her family, left. Photo courtesy of BCBay.com

Zhang's out-of-character silence was a serious cause for alarm, according to BCBay. Friends described Zhang as outgoing and communicative. "She's not the type to quietly disappear," said a close acquaintance. Friends believed she would have reached out if she faced trouble rather than severing all contact. Court documents indicate that individuals close to Zhang in Reno also found her lack of communication, which was unlike her, to be a cause for concern. Friends also questioned Zhang's husband's behavior, noting inconsistencies in his reported actions.

One of Zhang's friends, who had been actively posting updates and appeals on social media, commented on Zhang's optimism and strength in the article, expressing deep concern, stating, "Xia Xia, you always faced life with courage, no matter how challenging it became. I pray you are safe and can hear my signal to the universe."

Zhang's friends' concerns did indeed prove valid, as Churchill County Sheriff's Office discovered her body buried under the trampoline at Munoz’s Fallon residence on Del Rio Drive on November 21, only three days after the investigation began.

Munoz is the primary suspect in the case and is alleged to have killed her on November 8. The cause of death has not been released.

Munoz remains in custody on charges of Open Murder in Washoe County Jail with a $5,000,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Reno Justice Court for a bail hearing on January 15.

Daniel Lee Munoz, pictured right. Photo courtesy of CCSO.