1/31/2025

ASHLAND - Ashland Business Owner Found Guilty of Murder. The jury in the double murder case of Nathan Monkelien heard the defendant’s testimony on Thursday. Monkelien explained he was exhausted after a long day of work at the Stagecoach Bar and Grill and that he was on good terms with Aquiles Garcia, the co-owner of La Monarca Taqueria when he arrived with Ricardo Garcia and his brothers, buying the group a round of drinks. He described a scenario in which the brothers took possession of drugs from a stranger, and that later an altercation with the stranger and then later with the brothers escalated into a situation where he felt he had to protect himself, and ended up shooting the brothers, but did not intend to kill them. The jury deliberated on the testimony and found Monkelien guilty of first-degree murder for the death of Manuel Garcia-Salas, second degree murder for the death of Luis Garcia-Salas and resisting or obstructing an officer, battery and using a firearm while intoxicated. Sentencing in the case is scheduled for some time in May.