Fallon businessman Daniel Lee Munoz, who is charged with the November 2024 murder of his wife, Xiaoxia Zhang, was scheduled to begin a jury trial Aug. 3 in Washoe County. However, the trial was vacated and rescheduled. Following a motion to continue filed by Munoz's defense counsel, Second Judicial District Court Judge David Hardy reset the trial for Aug. 9, 2027.
The case began on Nov. 20, 2024, when the Reno Police Department (RPD) and Churchill County Sheriff's Office received reports of a missing 40-year-old woman who was last seen alive between Nov. 8 and 9, 2024.
Following a joint investigation by the Churchill County Sheriff's Office and RPD, the body of Xiaoxia Zhang, known as Shawna Munoz to family and friends, was discovered on Nov. 21, 2024. Zhang was found buried beneath a trampoline in the backyard of the couple's Del Rio Drive home in Fallon.
Munoz was arrested in Fallon and taken into custody before being transferred to Washoe County. Investigators allege the killing occurred at the couple's Reno residence in the 6100 block of Pleasant Oak Trail.
On Nov. 23, 2024, Munoz appeared with defense attorney Orrin Johnson in Reno Justice Court before Judge Ryan Sullivan, who set bail at $5 million, bondable only, over the defense's objection.
In March 2025, Munoz was released from custody after posting the $5 million bond and was placed on house arrest. The following month, the case was bound over to the Second Judicial District Court, where Munoz pleaded not guilty to the charge of Open Murder on May 3, 2025.
Nevada Justice Courts handle the early stages of felony cases, including arraignments, bail determinations, and preliminary hearings. Felony cases are then transferred to District Court, where pleas, trials, and sentencings take place.
Munoz remains out of custody and has appeared at all scheduled court hearings.
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