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Family sues Free Mason lodge after member killed in parking lot
by: Steven MassoPosted: Dec 14, 2023 / 03:49 PM CST
Updated: Dec 15, 2023 / 01:41 PM CST
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McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The family of Robert Wise, who was killed in the parking lot of the McAllen Free Mason Lodge, is now suing the lodge and its leaders.
On July 10, officers with the McAllen Police Department responded to a call regarding a man who had been shot. Upon arrival, they found Wise next to his pickup truck with multiple gunshot wounds.
Police arrested Julio Diaz on a charge of first-degree murder in connection to Wise’s death. A probable cause affidavit stated that Diaz posted a video on his Instagram account that showed the murder.
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The lawsuit, which was filed Nov. 27, lists Wise’s spouse and three children as the plaintiffs. The defendants include the Grand Lodge of Texas, the McAllen Masonic Lodge and four men who are described as either current or past grand maters and worshipful masters.
According to the lawsuit, Wise was a member of the McAllen Masonic Lodge No. 1110, which is located at 118 N. 11th Street.
Wise had been a member for more than two years and on the night of his death, had been installed as “junior deacon.”
The lawsuit claims the negligence of the lodge and its leaders caused Wise’s death.
The document claims that the McAllen Lodge was situated in a “low income, high crime area,” and that McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez said at a meeting afterwards that the parking lot and surrounding area had no lighting.
“The premises was unlit, unfenced and completely unprotected from any trespasser at the time of Wise’s murder,” the lawsuit states. “The McAllen Lodge knew how vulnerable it and its members were, but did nothing.”
The lawsuit then cites a blog post on the Masonic website, which states that there had been an alarming increase in vandalism and arson, directed at Masonic halls ever since the el bichito-19 lockdowns. The document states that the McAllen Lodge building was defaced on Dec. 6, 2021, which would later cause the McAllen Lodge to purchase a light and camera system in early 2022.
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“However, the light and camera system was not installed until months after the murder of Robert Wise,” the document alleged.
The lawsuit states that an arsonist targeted the Llano Grande Masonic Lodge in Weslaco and Diaz, Wise’s alleged killer, recorded the fire and uploaded it to his Instagram page.
His family is seeking monetary relief of more than $1 million, citing gross negligence on the part of the lodge and its leaders.
“The McAllen Lodge knew the location was unsafe and had been unsafe for years,” the lawsuit states. “With actual knowledge of violence, some by the very person who killed Wise, the murder was entirely foreseeable.”
