A man is set to be extradited from Kentucky to Washington state after he was accused of murdering a mother in front of her 1-year-old son during a “random and violent” attack.
Officials in Vancouver, Washington, said that Dariel Nunez-Montero has been accused of slashing Courtney Clinton‘s throat inside of a Ford Edge SUV while her baby was in the vehicle with them.
“Courtney was discovered deceased in her vehicle … in the 300 block of Blandford Dr.,” a city press release stated. “Courtney’s infant child was found in the vehicle with her. The child was unharmed.”
A spokesperson for the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney confirmed that Nunez-Montero, 32, has been in custody in Kentucky on unrelated charges, according to Law & Crime. He is now set to be extradited back to Washington state following the conclusion of his previous case.
An arrest warrant was issued for Nunez-Montero in April 2025 for first-degree murder in connection to Clinton’s death. Vancouver detectives traveled to Montgomery County, Kentucky, to serve him with the warrant while he was still in custody, according to city officials.
Nunez-Montero is expected to be transported back to Washington within the next few weeks.
The suspect’s DNA was found inside the vehicle that Clinton’s body and her crying baby were found in, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law & Crime. The vehicle was found on November 1, 2024, when a man passed by and initially thought Clinton “had been shot in the back of the head” because there was “a lot of blood.”
The man called 911 and cops reported to the scene, where they found slash wounds on Clinton’s neck. Police determined that the wounds were caused by an edged weapon, according to the affidavit.
Nunez-Montero’s DNA was allegedly found on the front passenger door of the SUV. DNA was also discovered underneath Clinton’s fingernails, though prosecutors have not yet said if the DNA belonged to Nunez-Montero.
A doorbell camera allegedly captured Nunez-Montero leaving his apartment at 3:31 a.m. on October 29, 2024, with a woman who appeared to be Clinton. The woman was holding a baby carrier at the time.
The pair were seen walking toward the parking lot of Nunez-Montero’s apartment complex, and the video captured him returning around 6:29 a.m. without Clinton.
“Courtney’s whereabouts directly after this time are unknown until her discovery on (Nov. 1),” the affidavit stated.
Investigators said that Clinton sent her location to a friend at 3:38 a.m., which showed she was at the apartment complex where Nunez-Montero allegedly lived. A friend of Clinton’s allegedly told officers that she was “known to meet men through social media,” while she often posted on escort websites.
Clinton was seen for the last time in person three days before her body was discovered on October 29, 2024.
