On February 16, 1982, the decomposed and nude remains of a small, young, African American female were discovered on a dirt road in the desert, just outside of Plainview, Texas. DRPD recovered several As the news of the Dardeen family homicides circulated around the area, locals were left even more fearful than they were already. He had been shot and his genitals were mutilated. The victim's race was either Hispanic or Caucasian, possibly being a mix of both. Allee Jr., died in January, but Long has a sworn statement from him that could be used in court. Prior to this position, she covered upstream oil and gas news for a drilling contractors' association. In all, five people died in what remains Texas' Example video title will go here for this video. Before the incident, the locals left their doors unlocked, but now they double-checked to make sure they were locked. Investigators believe that the skull belonged to the unidentified woman, however when DNA testing was done on the skull in 2015, it was determined that it belonged to a different person. Photographs were taken of the bones prior to her burial, though. There was a rise in gun sales as well as sales of security systems. Sanchez had been a long time person of interest in the case, but officers initially did not have enough evidence to charge him. I'm sure that if you would have shot two of his children, he would have fought, like an animal, he added. Resndiz apparently killed seventeen others. A man connected to the case, still living in Edwards County, but Volkmann said DNA tests were inconclusive. The most promising lead came in 2000, when serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells was arrested for cutting the throats of Kaylene Harris, 13, and Krystal Surles, 10 near Del Investigators believe that the man may have come from Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, or Tennessee, and may have used the names Thomas Jeffery, Jeffery Taylor, or Joseph Taylor, in order to gain food and medical care. [41] The woman had been shot at close range in the head. By Adriana Rezal, Eva Vigh The car was found about eight miles away, still with a flat tire. Commander Robert Caples said Marez agreed to talk to police about Salmon's murder. Her remains were exhumed in 2006 for analysis, however the maxilla and jaw bone were not found in the grave. The killings are among more than 900 mass slayings in the 20th century and several remain unsolved, according to Grant Duwe, a senior research analyst with the Minnesota Department of Corrections who has studied the subject. After I was able to meet him in person, I think he realized we were for real.". Several people were brought in for questioning. She was estimated to be between 12 and 16 years old, was approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall, and weighed between 90 and 100 pounds. Investigators believe she was right handed. The case remains under investigation by the Del Rio Police Department. DRPD, along with the following agencies: Val Verde County Sheriffs Office Investigators, Department of Public Safety CID Agents, Homeland Security Investigation Agents and Drug Enforcement Administration assisted in the arrest of Aldo Esquivel at his residence. A mile-long stretch of U.S. Highway 277 became a killing field, with family members shot, stabbed, raped and robbed. Sells was put to death in 2014, and nobody has ever been charged with the murders of the Dardeen family. Its the oldest unsolved mass murder, said Volkmann. He had dark brown hair and a possible case of mild spina bifida. Investigators believe she had been murdered. DRPD detectives executed a search warrant at this persons residence located at the Villas de Val Verde at 1725 FM 2523 in Del Rio, TX. DRPD Detectives continued the search for Victor Garcia leading into the early hours of the morning of January 19, 2022. However, Joeann Dardeen, Keiths mother told the police that her son was so frugal that he raised his young sons college fund by reselling 50-cent cans of soda at work for a small profit. He was soon buried in a pauper's grave in Rose Hill Cemetery in Cleburne, Texas. Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. Anyone with information. He apparently had given the family a ride 30 miles north to the service station before heading back with them to where the car was stranded. And if it was just a one-time event in some individuals life, thats questionable how somebody rational could do something like this and just carry on with his normal routine in life.. His hands were never located. And get information about All of Del Rios events delivered directly to your inbox! He was between 35 and 50 years old, was approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed between 195 and 200 pounds. No charges were filed. Long looked for two years for the old Buick, finally convincing himself it was destroyed in a salvage yard. What happened next has baffled authorities for almost 40 years. Sexual assault was secondary, thirdly would have been theft, said Long, referring to the rape of at least one of the women. On January 19, 2022, at about 6:00 pm, Victor Garcia was taken into custody at the Del Rio Police Department. The family lived at 33 Del Rio Dr., a Colonial-style home in the Evans Farm neighborhood in Brighton. One time they had asked him, was he an American? He goes, No, we didn't get any ice cream. So, he just didn't understand what they were talking about, said Volkmann. The feeling around was that there's somebody, maybe someone from our county here in Edwards County, someone from Sutton County or someone out of Val Verde County that is capable of murdering five people, said Letsinger. They went to California and got his DNA, it did not match anything that was in the evidence.. Segn fuentes, la joven era madre de cinco hijos. Five members of the Arrellano family, including two children, were murdered in 1968. The killings are among more than 900 mass slayings in the 20th century, and several remain unsolved, according to Grant Duwe, a senior research analyst with the Minnesota Department of Corrections who has studied the subject. Volkmann said that he didnt believe one person could have restrained Manuel Sr., and killed the two children at the same time. Romeo Sanchez, was accused of stabbing the victim to death while fighting with the victim inside of the bar. Police records indicate witnesses also saw the family with a man described as a cowboy. Allee Jr., died in January, but Long has a sworn statement from him that could be used in court. WebThe Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program was created on September 1, 2001 by the 77th Session of Texas Legislature. She was initially suspected to be white, but admixture testing later proved she was of over 50 percent Sub-Saharan descent, most likely indicating she was African American. The woman identified as Amanda Riojas, 27, was declared dead at the Hospital. Three members of the family were slain to death, but Keith was missing along with their car, there was no hint as to where he could have been. This has led to his nickname, "White Socks". But I can tell you this: In 1998, law enforcement wasnt even in the ballpark. He was found wearing a longs sleeve button-up shirt with a white and blue pattern, Levi brand jeans, white tube socks with red and blue stripes, brown Wellington boots, a necklace made of white puka shells and large black beads, and a silver Snoopy medallion. Leticia died two days later. The investigation has taken Long all over the country and to Mexico, where he found Manuel Jr. [19], On August 12, 1985, the body of a Hispanic female aged between 16 and 35 was found inside a vacant store. Investigators also searched the area for missing children, however none were reported missing at the time. The most promising lead came in 2000, when serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells was arrested for cutting the throats of Kaylene Harris, 13, and Krystal Surles, 10 near Del Rio, Texas. "You can only imagine what went through this gentleman's mind," Long said. Sexual assault was secondary, thirdly would have been theft," said Long, referring to the rape of at least one of the women. However, there is no strong theory, that gives the motive behind the brutal killing of the Dardeen family. He said its something he takes home with him at night. A pair of athletic shoes and an unfired .32 caliber cartridge were also found with the body. Othram Inc. was contacted in June 2021, to help identify the infant. [51] One or more of the female's limbs were not found with the body, as they were likely carried away by animals. Few in the sparsely populated area remember the case, though it seems to have spawned a legend from Del Rio to Mexico. After his arrest, Tommy claimed that he had carried out the Dardeen Killing along with other 70 unsolved murders. In their free time, the couple played in a musical ensemble at a local Baptist church. Long said he hopes one day to get answers to what happened that day in that West Texas field. Investigators werent even certain how many suspects to hunt. In most murder cases, a body is discovered. It wasnt expected to be a difficult journey. Carol Finegan, who with her husband owns the nearly 80-year-old Loma Alta store where the Arellano family repaired their first flat, has heard talk about how Mexicans won't stop there or travel the road. I was always a transient.. [29], The skeletal remains of a male between the ages of 27 and 38 were found on October 3, 1988, in Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas, near an RV park. So was her brother, Manuel Jr., also shot in the head and stabbed. Witnesses reported that a known man, whose name was provided to the investigating officers was the one that opened fired at the location. So was her brother, Manuel Jr., also shot in the head and stabbed. If you have information about this crime, youre asked to call the Edwards County Sheriffs Office. A pair of work eyeglasses with smoky-gray frames were also found near the body. Olguin was arrested on an unrelated charge, but officials are questioning him about the murder of 27-year-old Sandra De la Cruz. [15], A young man and woman who were found in January 1981. Over the last few months, several cities Sea Turtle Inc. hosting Saturday beach cleanup. The attendant couldnt identify any of them as the man he saw. Investigators deemed the infant's death a homicide, as it was found that she had been born alive. A preacher once came in the store "to get rid of the Loma Alta devil or ghost," she recalled. The DNA Doe Project was asked to assist with the man's identification in May, 2019. The Sheriffs Office is offering a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of Victor Garcia, a suspect in a capital murder case. VAL VERDE COUNTY, Texas Val Verde County Authorities caught up with the man they are calling a person of interest in the murder of a Del Rio mother. DRPD Detectives discovered a third person A distinctive feature about this female was that she had her make-up permanently tattooed on her eyebrows, eyelids and lips. He was buried in an unmarked grave in McLennan County Restland Cemetery, however the location of his body is unknown. All rights reserved Bugged Space 2019-2022, Meet Zaevion Dobson; Who Died While Shielding Teenage Girls From Bullets. Elaine and Peter had been bound and gagged with duct tape, and both of them had been beaten so severely that Elaine, who was pregnant at the time, went into labor and delivered a girl, but the killer or killers took no mercy on the newborn either and killed the newborn too. But, for Edwards County Sheriffs Office Chief Deputy Darrell Volkmann, this one is haunting. They relied on a Good Samaritan to take them another 30 miles up the lonely road to Sonora to get that tire repaired. As of January 22, 2021 it was announced that Live Oak Doe has been identified. Marez told police another man, Joe Bazan, thought Salmon had gotten his girlfriend hooked on drugs, Caples said. Eva Vigh joined Community Impact Newspaper in 2018 as a reporter for Spring and Klein. Some two weeks after his attack, the boy was able to tell authorities about a white man, "a big cowboy," who was helping them, then killed his father. The oldest unsolved cold case on the Texas Department of Public Safety website is the brutal beating and shooting murder of a 17-year-old in Sonora, Texas. It seemed like a ghost thing they were talking about, or something like that, said Finegan, whose store is the lone oasis on the winding 90-mile highway between Del Rio and Sonora. Cash and jewelry were equally accessible in another room. Jose Damian Garza was murdered in Hondo, Texas, July 19, 2008. The car was left abandoned and there was bodies scattered everywhere, said Volkmann. "We came to realize this is a case that needs to be looked at" again. Im not able to sleep at night, sometimes I walk the floor, and I keep playing these photographs in the back of my mind, said Volkmann. [10], A forensic examination of the remains of this decedent, in addition to the circumstantial fact that he was buried between two identified victims of Dean Corll (killed in August 1971 and July 1972), indicated that he was most likely murdered in either 1971 or 1972. An organization in South Padre Island will hold Wednesday, March 1, 2023: Hot and breezy, temps in the 90s, Fire weather watch to go into effect Thursday. The man had been shot to death with a small caliber handgun approximately one week prior to the discovery of his body. But one in Harlingen, still haunts the community because the victim was only 19 years old. The Dardeen Family murders were considered too brutal to be reported on daytime television. Volkmann said witnesses reported seeing Manuel Sr., and his son Manuel Jr., in Sonora at a tire shop and local restaurant. Keiths mother discarded his claims and said Keith was far too protective of his family to do such a thing. When the tire on their 10-year-old Buick went flat in this rugged, isolated stretch of West Texas about 40 miles north of the Mexican border, it seemed merely an inconvenience for Manuel Arellano and his family. All of the individuals here were more or less executed.. A man was arrested for the Doe's murder in September, 2007. [4][5][6] This decedent was between 5 feet 2 and 5 feet 7 inches tall, had dark brown hair, approximately seven inches in length,[7] and is believed to have worn multicolored, striped swim trunks, boots, and a shirt displaying a peace symbol. Un presunto sospechoso identificado como Robert Evans Jr fue arrestado y permanece bajo custodia por un cargo de asesinato con una fianza de $ 500,000. Hidden in the tall grass, they found a five-year-old boy in a pool of blood, authorities later learned he had been shot and stabbed. He is currently slated for another extraction. [42], On September 17, 1990, the body of a middle aged white/Hispanic man was found about five miles north of Roscoe, Texas, and about a mile north of Interstate 20 in rural Nolan County, Texas. The couple had other relatives in Texas, and their car carried Texas license plates and election stickers promoting a relative running for sheriff in Zavala County. It appeared the man had been dragged outside of the club, possibly by a worker who had been cleaning up for the night. The children were nearer their father, in the rocks and shrubs usually occupied by goats, snakes and armadillos. He was found wearing a blue polo shirt with an Exxon logo on the sleeve, blue jeans, a brown/black belt with a silver buckle, and blue sneakers. Some were recently submitted for DNA testing that wasnt available in the late 1960s and early 70s. It is unknown how both victims were placed at the scene. knowing that Esquivel and Garcia were going to commit a felonious act. After her body remained unidentified, she was buried in an unmarked grave in a potter's field. Latest Breaking news from Del Rio & Eagle Pass, Texas! Investigators assumed that Keith had killed his family and ran away. She was found wearing pink bikini panties, a ring with a replica 20-dollar American gold piece, and a white towel. participated in the fatal shooting of the 11-year-old boy. Three alarm fire forces elders from their four-story apartment building, Wear the Gown: Avoiding dehydration which can have devastating effects, Near 90 Wednesday, chance for severe weather later in the week | FORECAST, 'I was devastated': Portland woman who abandoned car during snowstorm shocked by $787 bill from tow company. The trailer was nestled among woodland beside Route 37, just outside of Ina, Illinois, and they lived there with their 2-year-old son. She had died of blunt force trauma to the head, and had been dead for anywhere between a few months to five years. 2022 by Del Rio & Eagle Pass News Leader. Her eyes were also brown. He had receding dark brown hair with gray roots and brown eyes. The waitress who spoke to her claimed the girl told her she was from the Aransas Pass/Rockport area but no missing persons were reported in that area around the time of her death. Discover amazing horror stories, conspiracy theories, Murder Mysteries, Alien Life, Unsolved Mysteries, latest breakthrough Science news, and much more on Bugged Space ! He had black straight hair, and light brown skin. Un testigo transport a la mujer al hospital despus de que le dispararan en una tienda de conveniencia local. I think now we put that reversed. El caso sigue siendo investigado por el Departamento de Polica de Del Rio. She had black hair styled in cornrows and pigtails, and brown eyes, as well as scars on her left wrist. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Three alarm fire forces elders from their four-story apartment building, Wear the Gown: Avoiding dehydration which can have devastating effects, Near 90 Wednesday, chance for severe weather later in the week | FORECAST, 'I was devastated': Portland woman who abandoned car during snowstorm shocked by $787 bill from tow company, Meghan describes anguish about hurtful discussions about son's skin color, 750+ tips received about Boulder party that turned destructive; police want help to ID suspects, With virus aid in sight, Democrats debate filibuster changes. "Back in '68, I think with the information they had, probably they looked at a hate crime as the motive. If we could find the person that DNA fits, then we will probably have a person that either killed those people or was present, said Don Letsinger, since 1987 the sheriff in Edwards County, where the killings took place. He may have gone by the street name, "New York Billy". Were hopeful of a chance.. By 1982, the investigation had turned cold after producing thousands of pages of documentation, Long said. DRPD Detectives interviewed this individual who provided some insight in the investigation and named two suspects who were allegedly involved in the shooting on San Juan Street in Del Rio. arrested at his residence located at the Villas De Val Verde, also for the offense of Capital Murder, I always thought there were at least two that were suspects. The RICO offenses were committed in Uvalde, Eagle Pass and Del Rio, Texas, and the surrounding area. Volkmann said the evidence has posed a big challenge in solving this case. Please contact the Del Rio Police Department at (830) 309-8770 and (830) 313-1593. Fred and Edwina's son, 43-year-old Charles Rogers, disappeared right after, and remains the only suspect in a case that is officially unsolved. A witness transported the woman to the hospital after being shot outside a local convenience store. In 2013, his body was exhumed for DNA analysis. Based on information from a Sonora service station attendant who repaired the tire for the family, police distributed a sketch of a possible suspect -- a tall, sandy-haired man in his 30s, wearing a straw cowboy hat and driving a pickup truck. South Padre Island, Cameron County, Texas, List of unidentified murder victims in the United States, "Cold Cases Go Online, with Respect for Victims", "Is Bobby French the Last Unidentified Victim of Serial Killer Dean Corll? There had been 15 homicides in Jefferson County in the previous two years. A stack of papers with sports scores found in the house led them to wonder whether Keith has been in gambling debts. The show, however, was unable to generate any new leads. The man was estimated to be between 20 and 30 years old, was 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighed 128 pounds. 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