The Disappearance and Murder of Victoria Ochoa

 

Victoria Ochoa vanished at the age of 27 during August 2005. The mother-of-four lived in Clarksville, Tennessee at the time of her disappearance. She was last seen alive at a BP gas station on Providence Blvd. Victoria never returned home and was subsequently reported missing on August 15th, after she missed the birthday of one of her sons. 

Over six months passed without any sign of Victoria. Then, on February 21st, 2006, human remains were found under a mattress inside an abandoned home on D Street. Those skeletal remains were later identified as that of Victoria Ochoa. Her death was labeled a homicide.

The abandoned home where Victoria's remains were found is located less than half a mile away from the BP station where she was last seen alive. Years have passed since her tragic death, and detectives are still trying to piece together the circumstances under which Victoria left the gas station, and the events that followed. No suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly identified.

Victoria's case grew cold fairly early into the investigation. In 2016 - over a decade after her death - it was announced that a team of cold case detectives was reopening the case. As of today, the case remains opened, and a monetary reward is available in exchange for information that could help solve Victoria's murder.

If you have any information that could help solve this case, please contact Detective Michael Ulrey at 931-648-0656 ext. 5483 or Crime Stoppers at 931-645-TIPS (8477).

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Sources:
ABC 2, (2)
Clarksville Now
Fox 17 Nashville
News 5 Nashville

The Disappearance of Alex Aleman

Source: NamUs

Alex Aleman has been missing since July 27th, 2005. The then-24-year-old was last seen in Dallas, Texas. On the day he vanished, Alex went to work as usual. However, at some point during his shift, he abruptly left the job after telling his coworkers he was going to California. Alex has never been seen or heard from again.

Alex's family members stated that he does not have any ties to California and it's unknown why he would say he was traveling there. He has ties to Arizona, but there does not appear to be any evidence that he went there either. Alex was also reportedly active in the Dallas gay community prior to vanishing, but no one in his inner circle has seen or heard from him since the day of his disappearance. 

Various sources indicate that Alex was going through a hard time at the time went missing. He was reportedly upset with family members and depressed after going through a recent breakup. He was also known to be a "heavy drug user" - although it is unknown if this plays a role in his disappearance. 

There are not many details available about Alex's case. Two decades have passed without any sign of him. Detectives in Irving, Texas have investigative agency over Alex's case. If you have any information that could help solve his disappearance, please contact authorities at 972-273-1030.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Count Every Mystery
NamUs
Track Missing
Uncovered

The Disappearance of Siphat Chau

 

Siphat Chau vanished during the early morning hours of December 24th, 2005. At the time, the 19-year-old was visiting his family in Portland, Maine for the holidays. Siphat was last sitting on the couch at his parent's house between 12:30 and 1:00 AM. Hours later, when his family woke up, they noticed Siphat was gone. He has never been seen or heard from again.

Siphat left many of his personal belongings behind, including his wallet, car, and keys. It's believed that he was wearing jeans, a red sweatshirt, and Timberland boots at the time he went missing. Other than that, there are very few details available about the events leading up to his disappearance.

Loved ones of Siphat noted that his sudden absence was incredibly uncharacteristic. Friends described Siphat as charming and smart. He graduated with honors from Portland High School and earned a partial scholarship to University of Maine in Orono. 

However, like many recent high school graduates, Siphat was unsure of his future. He reportedly waited until the last minute to decide to enroll at the university for the fall 2005 semester. Siphat majored in business and finished his first semester, but did not register for classes for the spring semester.

 

Several reports note that Siphat was having financial difficulties at the time due to online gambling. His family reportedly asked him to come back to Portland indefinitely to be closer to his support system. Siphat's friends and family also noted that he did not often talk to them about his personal issues. Despite this, they have never believed he would voluntarily stay out-of-touch. 

Both Portland Police and Bangor Police have investigative agency in Siphat's disappearance. If you have any information that could help solve Siphat's case, please contact the Portland Police Department at 207-874-8575 or the Bangor Police Department at 207-947-7384.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Portland Police
Tapatalk
Websleuths
WGME 1

The Disappearance of Jamie Jo Travis

Source: Cook County Sheriff's Office

Jamie Jo Travis vanished at the age of 27 on August 30th, 2005. The young woman was last seen at the Taft Homes public housing complex in Peoria, Illinois. She disappeared at some point during the evening and has never been seen or heard from again.

According to The Doe Network, Jamie spoke on the phone to a friend on the night of her disappearance. Said friend offered her a ride home after he was done with work at 10:30 PM. However, when the friend later drove to Madison Street to pick her up, Jamie was nowhere to be found. 

Additional details about Jamie's disappearance are unknown. Online records and reports indicate that she was struggling with drug addiction at the time she vanished. Various reports state that she was pregnant at the time of her disappearance as well. 

Nearly two decades have passed, and Jamie's disappearance remains an unsolved cold case. Both the Cook County Sheriff's Office and the Peoria Police Department have been listed as investigators in the case. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact authorities at 309-673-4521 or submit a tip online. 

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Sources:
Charley Project
Cook County Sheriff's Office
The Doe Network

The Disappearance of Carina Lynn Karras

Source: Cook County Sheriff's Office

Carina Lynn Karras has been missing since December 31st, 2005. The then-20-year-old was last seen boarding a train in Grayslake, Illinois. It's believed Carina's destination was Las Vegas, Nevada - as she planned to move to that area. However, after getting on the train, Carina was never seen or heard from again. 

It's unknown if Carina ever reached her destination, or if she exited the train at a different location. Various reports about her case state that she was supposed to meet a friend in Vegas - but it appears that the identity of said friend is unknown. Other than that, there is very little verified information available about Carina's case.

In 2018, a family member of Carina's commented on a post about Carina on the Charley Project blog. The poster shared that both the family and police have reached out to several people regarding her disappearance but have yet to find answers. The poster replied to another comment stating, in part, "The story is jacked up and I’ve reached out to the people you are speculating about. The police have as well. They were dead ends."

Source: Charley Project blog.

The same poster later commented that they also reached out to Carina's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance. The boyfriend said that Carina "blew him off" on the night she went missing. However, no further information about the boyfriend has been shared.

Source: Charley Project blog.

Various comments online indicate that Carina was involved in sex work prior to her disappearance. It's unclear if this plays a role in her case. Nearly two decades have passed, and Carina's case remains cold.

Although she was believed to be traveling out of state at the time of her disappearance, the Chicago Police are the investigating agency in Carina's case. If you have any information that could help solve the case, please contact the Chicago Police Department at 312-744-8200 or submit a tip online.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Charley Project Blog
Cook County Sheriff's Office
Websleuths

Twenty Years Later: Still Unsolved (2025)

Many unsolved missing persons cases and unsolved murder cases featured on True Case Files turn 20 years old this year. After 2 decades, the loved ones of these missing persons/homicide victims are still searching for answers.  Here's a signal boost of the cases from 2005 that are still unsolved:

Listed by date of occurrence.

Jump to: Missing since 2005 | Unsolved since 2005 |

MISSING SINCE 2005:

Name: Amy Hauter

Missing since: Jan. 15, 2005

Last seen in: Fern Creek, KY

Age at disappearance: 14

Age now: 34

Case details: The Disappearance of Amy Lyn Hauter.

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Name: Heather Emmalee Bush

Missing since: Jan. 15, 2005

Last seen in: Modesto, CA

Age at disappearance: 13

Age now: 33

Case details: The Disappearance of Heather Emmalee Bush.

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Name: Asia Martin

Missing since: May 27, 2005

Last seen in: Hattiesburg, MS

Age at disappearance: 19

Age now: 39

Case details: The Disappearance of Asia Martin.

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Name: Jasmine Earl

Missing since: June 14, 2005

Last seen in: DeKalb County, GA

Age at disappearance: 18

Age now: 38

Case details: The Disappearance of Jasmine Earl.

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Name: JoJo Boswell

Missing since: July 11, 2005

Last seen in: Steele County, MN

Age at disappearance: 19

Age now: 39

Case details: The Disappearance of JoJo Boswell.

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Name: Madeline Edman

Missing since: July 29, 2005

Last seen in: La Crosse, WI

Age at disappearance: 15

Age now: 35

Case details: The Disappearance of Madeline Edman.

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Name: Mia Santiago

Missing since: Aug. 20, 2005

Last seen in: Brooklyn, NY

Age at disappearance: 16

Age now: 36

Case details: The Disappearance of Mia Santiago.

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Name: Jamie Jo Travis

Missing since: Aug. 30, 2005

Last seen in: Peoria, IL

Age at disappearance: 27

Age now: 47

Case details: The Disappearance of Jamie Jo Travis.

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Name: Siphat Chau

Missing since: Dec. 24, 2005

Last seen in: Portland, ME

Age at disappearance: 19

Age now: 39

Case details: The Disappearance of Siphat Chau.

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Name: Carina Lynn Karras

Missing since: Dec. 31, 2005

Last seen in: Grayslake, IL

Age at disappearance: 20

Age now: 40

Case details: The Disappearance of Carina Lynn Karras.

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UNSOLVED SINCE 2005:

Name: Christina White (18)

Case type: Disappearance and murder.

Missing: June 30, 2005

Remains found: Mar. 10, 2006

Location: Saratoga Springs, NY

Teenage girl vanishes from her mother's New York home; nine months later she is found deceased less than ten miles away. An autopsy determined she was stabbed.

Case details: The Murders of Jennifer Hammond & Christina White.

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Name: Alexandra 'Alex' Anaya (13)

Case type: Murder; dismemberment.

Missing: Aug. 13, 2005

Remains found: Aug. 16, 2005

Location: Hammond, IN

Indiana teen vanishes from her home; her torso is found 3 days later. FBI involved in the case.

Case details: The Murder of Alexandra 'Alex' Anaya

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Name: Kayla Reed (15)

Case type: Disappearance and murder.

Missing: Dec. 2, 2005

Remains found: Jan. 10, 2006

Location: Livermore, CA

California teen vanished overnight. A month later, her body was found in the Delta Mendota canal. Who killed Kayla Reed?

Case details: The Disappearance & Murder of Kayla Reed.

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Name: Chairo Garibay (20)

Case type: Disappearance and murder.

Missing: Dec. 11, 2005

Remains found: Jan. 2006

Location: Yuba County, CA

Young woman vanished from her family's California home; weeks later her body was found less than a mile away. 

Case details: The Murder of Chairo Garibay.

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The Disappearance of Amy Lyn Hauter

Source: Help us Find Amy Hauter (Facebook)

Amy Lyn Hauter vanished at the age of 14 on January 15th, 2005. She was last seen at her residence in Fern Creek, Kentucky. Amy left home at some point overnight and never returned. Her loved ones have never seen or heard from her again.

The night before Amy's disappearance began as a seemingly normal evening. She met up with friends at the movies and was afterwards picked up from the theater by her mother. Amy's mother said she later went to check on Amy during the early morning hours only to find that she had left the residence again. 

According to reports, Amy was a "chronic runaway" and drug user during 2004-2005. Due to this, Amy's mother first thought that she would return after a few days. When Amy did not return by January 18th, her mother filed a missing person's report. 

Amy was classified as a runaway upon being reported missing, and as such, her case did not receive much media attention. In June 2006, a local news report listed Amy as one of four missing children in the Louisville area. The report noted that investigators still believed the children, including Amy, were still alive and possibly still in the Kentuckiana area. 

Several years have passed since that report, and Amy has still not been found. There does not appear to be any additional evidence that she is alive; there has been no indication of her getting a driver's license, nor has she accessed any sort of bank accounts. Amy's family does not believe she would voluntarily stay out of touch for this long.

Amy's disappearance is considered a cold case. If you have any information that could solve the case, please contact the Louisville Metro Police Department at 502-574-2111.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Front Page Detectives
Help us Find Amy Hauter
Louisville Police
WAVE 3
WDRB

The Disappearance of Heather Emmalee Bush

Source: Facebook

Heather Emmalee Bush has been missing since January 15th, 2005. She was only 13 years-old at the time of her disappearance. Heather was last seen at her grandparents' house in Modesto, California. She left the residence at some point on the day of her disappearance and never returned. Heather has never been seen or heard from again. 

Heather's disappearance was classified as a runaway case from the beginning, and it remains at that status today. Details about Heather's life at the time she vanished are unknown. The events leading up to her disappearance are unknown as well. 

A flyer for Heather's missing persons' case describes her as a Caucasian female with brown hair and blue eyes. The poster also states that she has a burn mark on her abdomen and is missing the tip of her left pinky finger. Heather was approximately 4'11" and 110 pounds when she went missing, but since she was only 13 years old at the time, it's possible that she would be taller today. 

Age-progressed picture of Heather. (Source: NCMEC)

In recent years, relatives of Heather have been trying to spread awareness about her disappearance on Facebook. Other than that, though, there has been very little reporting on Heather's case. News about her case appears to be nonexistent. 

Detectives in Ripon, California have agency over Heather's case. If you have any information about Heather's disappearance and/or whereabouts, please contact the Ripon Police Department at 209-599-2102.

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Sources:
California Department of Justice
Charley Project
Facebook
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Websleuths

The Disappearance of Jasmine Earl

source: NamUs

Jasmine Earl has been missing since June 14th, 2005. The then-18-year-old was last seen in DeKalb County, Georgia. Jasmine was driving a blue 1989 Chevrolet Astro van at the time of her disappearance. She has never been seen or heard from again. 

Several months later, in February 2006, the van that Jasmine was driving was found abandoned in 4600 block of Dawson Road. No further sign of Jasmine was found on the scene. According to family members, the van did not provide any additional clues about Jasmine's disappearance.

There has been very little news reporting about Jasmine's case. However, in late 2005, a thread about her disappearance was created on Websleuths. A cousin of Jasmine's posted to the thread and provided additional details that have not been provided by police or the media. 

The cousin wrote, in part, "What we know so far is that she was last seen at the Washington Mutual bank on Chamblee-Tucker Rd."  According to the cousin, Jasmine's family was told that the bank does not have cameras outside their location. Her whereabouts and actions after leaving the bank remain unknown. 

Jasmine's cousin also posted that it is unusual for Jasmine to be out of touch with her loved ones. Police initially thought that she left on her own accord; however, there does not appear to be any evidence to suggest that she planned to leave and stay out of contact with her family. 

The Websleuths thread has been inactive since 2006/2007. The information provided by the cousin has not been confirmed by authorities, who have overall remained quiet about the investigation into Jasmine's disappearance. As such, there are many unanswered questions. 

The discovery of Jasmine's van is a source of some of those unanswered questions. The vehicle was found in a location approximately five to six miles away from Chamblee-Tucker Road. How did it end up in that area? How long had the van been there? Did Jasmine herself park it in the spot where it was found? At this time, all of this information still remains unknown. 

Jasmine remains missing today. The DeKalb County Sheriff's Department is in charge of her case. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please contact authorities at 404-297-2574.

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Sources:
Charley Project
NamUs
Uncovered
Websleuths

Unsolved Murders: Jennifer Hammond & Christina White from Milton, New York

Jennifer Hammond (left), Christina White (right)

Jennifer Hammond (nicknamed 'Moonbeam' by her friends) vanished at the age of 18 on August 1st, 2003. Prior to her disappearance, Jennifer had a job selling magazines and she lived with her co-workers at a hotel in Albany, New York. On the day she vanished, Jennifer's co-workers dropped her off at the Creek & Pines mobile home park in Milton so she could sell magazine subscriptions door-to-door. When Jennifer's co-workers returned to the mobile home park later to pick her up, she was nowhere to be found. She never returned to the hotel in Albany and was never seen or heard from again.

Nearly two years later, another young woman disappeared from the Milton area. On June 30th, 2005, 19-year-old Christina White seemingly vanished without a trace. She was last seen by her mother at the home they shared at the Stockade mobile home park. The Stockade mobile community is located less than two miles from Creek & Pines, where Jennifer was last seen in 2003.

900 Rock City Road: Stockade Mobile Homes, where Christina lived. 855 Middleline Road: Creek & Pines, where Jennifer was last seen.

Nine months later, on March 10th, 2006, Christina's remains were found in the Daketown Forest in Greenfield. Forensics revealed that Christina had been stabbed multiple times. Due to the state of her body, it was believed that she had been killed shortly after her disappearance.

Christina's death was officially classified as a homicide and detectives continued to investigate it as such, however they had very few leads to chase. Meanwhile, Jennifer Hammond remained missing. Then, on October 26th, 2009, a hunter found a human skull on Lake Desolation Forest in Greenfield. The location where the skull was found is a little over three miles from the location where Christina's remains were found.

Forensic testing and dental records confirmed that the skull belong to Jennifer Hammond, who had vanished six years earlier in 2003. Her death was classified as a homicide. Investigators found it quite suspicious that two young women around the same age had vanished from the same area and had been found murdered in close proximity. From that point forward, detectives have announced that they believe Jennifer and Christina were killed by the same person(s).

In 2023, a 46-year-old man named Craig Nelson Ross Jr. was arrested and charged with kidnapping 9-year-old Charlotte Sena from a campground in Moreau Lake State Park. Fingerprints from a ransom note left behind by Ross led authorities to his mother's home in Milton. Charlotte was luckily found alive, hidden inside a cupboard at the home. Ross was subsequently arrested and charged with kidnapping. 

Authorities are now investigating whether or not Ross played a role in the disappearances and murders and Jennifer and Christina. At this time, he has not been charged with anything related to their cases. However, the investigation is ongoing. 

If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Saratoga Springs Police Department at (518) 584-1800.

DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this post is to spread awareness about this case. The information provided in this post is information that was found through various sources on the internet. If any information on this post is inaccurate, please contact the author via email at truecasefiles@gmail.com or through Instagram and the errors can be corrected. Additionally, if you have any information that could improve the accuracy or quality of this post, please contact the author. 

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The Disappearance of Mia Santiago

Mia Santiago vanished in Brooklyn, New York City on August 20th, 2005. There is very little information about Mia's disappearance, and the details that have been shared on various sources have been conflicting. What is known is that Mia was only 16 years-old at the time of her disappearance. Mia was reportedly last seen getting into a cab with an unidentified man in the 300 Block of Rodney Street. She has never been seen or heard from again.

Before delving into more details, it is important to note the following information: various online postings/sources refer to Mia as transgender. Other sources use Mia's birth name and he/him pronouns. In this post, Mia will be referred to with she/her pronouns--however there will be some direct quotations that refer to Mia with the previous name and he/him pronouns. These quotations are provided for objective and informative purposes only. 

As previously stated, there are very few details available about the circumstances surrounding Mia's disappearance. However, there has been a lot of online speculation. In 2018, a post about Mia's disappearance was featured on The Charley Project's blog. A commenter on the post suggested that Mia might have been a victim of the Long Island Serial Killer (LISK). The comment reads, "Most people who follow true crime believe that [Tyrell] Santiago is the “unidentified asian” male found dead at Gilgo beach and is believed to be murdered by the LISK. The victim was found wearing women’s clothing ([Tyrell] was Transgender) and vitals all match up as well as the composite sketch. They have the victims DNA but for some reason Santiagos family will not give a family dna sample to see if they match up. Something to do with old fashioned family views on sex etc."

Another commenter shared a link to a Reddit post from a subreddit about the Long Island Serial Killer. The Reddit post reads, "Asian male isn't even Asian at all. In fact it's nearly certain [he] is [Tirrel] Santiago, a 16 year old trans kid from Brooklyn. [He] dressed as a female and went by the name Mia. [He] went to a special theater high school in Times Square and [he] disappeared one block north of Christopher St. [He] was last seen getting into a cab with an unknown male. Why hasn't SCPD run the DNA tests for a match? Because they can't get the family to give them a sample. The area [he] disappears from and the fact [he] was a 16 year old kid tells us [he] wasn't some sex worker who was dressed in female clothes posing a female and was beaten when the LISK discovered [he] had a penis."

It's unclear where the detail about Mia's family refusing to give a DNA sample originated. In fact, about a year after these comments were posted, a commenter named Keisha replied and stated that she is Mia's sister. Her comment reads, "Listen I am [his] sister we never had a problem giving in DNA PLEASE STOP. I need information is this is my brother." In response to the comment containing the Reddit post, Keisha commented, "Please stop with the rumors." 

These comments suggest that Keisha and other family members do not believe that Mia is this unidentified person found at Gilgo Beach--but this has not been confirmed. Still, to this day, the deceased person remains unidentified, and Mia remains missing. 

In July 2023, Rex Heuermann (59) was arrested and charged with the murders of 3 young women who were murdered and found at Gilgo Beach. He is now being labeled as the Long Island Serial Killer. Although he has only been charged with 3 murders, it is believed that he is connected to other unsolved cases from the area. A link between Heuermann and Mia Santiago has yet to be made.

If you have any information that could help solve Mia's case, please contact the NYPD at 212-694-7781.

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Sources: [one, two, three]

The Murders of Alejandra Gutierrez and the Rios Family

Alejandra Gutierrez was only 10 years old when she was brutally murdered on December 8th, 2005.  The little girl left her family's Fort Wayne, Indiana home that morning to walk a short distance to her school bus stop. However, when the bus arrived, Alejandra was not there. She never made it to school that morning, nor did she return home. Alejandra's family members reported her missing around 9PM that evening. 

Both investigators and Alejandra's worried family members feared that Alejandra had been kidnapped. Initially, investigators could not find any evidence of an abduction, but they acknowledged that Alejandra's disappearance was suspicious and it was unlikely that she ran away. Then, just days later, another tragic incident occurred in Fort Wayne: a woman and her three daughters had been murdered.  One of the victims, Liliana Rios, was Alejandra Gutierrez's former classmate. Investigators would quickly learn that Alejandra's disappearance and the murder of the Rios family were not just a coincidental tragedies.

The Rios Family

During the early morning hours of December 12th, 2005, 33 year-old Simon Rios called Fort Wayne police and said that he was suicidal. Officers were dispatched to Rios' home, where they greeted him on his front porch. Rios then told officers that he beat his wife, Ana Casas-Rios with a steel pipe before strangling her to death with an extension cord.  Afterwards, he strangled his three daughters, Liliana (10), Katherinne (4), and Thynna (1).  Rios was arrested on the scene and charged with murdering his family. 

While in custody, Rios began speaking to investigator's about Alejandra's disappearance. Eventually, he provided information that led to Alejandra's body being found in a gravel pit in Delaware County--over 50 miles away from Alejandra's home in Fort Wayne. An autopsy revealed that Alejandra had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Rios was then additionally charged with Alejandra's abduction, rape, and murder.

-continued from Tumblr post:

Rios initially told investigators that he had an accomplice in Alejandra's abduction. He said that it was actually 17 year-old Juan Rosales who abducted Alejandra from her bus stop on the morning of her disappearance. Rios' explained that Juan is the one who put Alejandra into Rios' van, and that the two of them raped Alejandra before they dumped her body in Delaware County. Juan was taken into custody but was seemingly released after 77 days. Investigators reportedly believe that both Rios and Juan lied about Juan's involvement. 

Investigators later revealed that their belief that Rios lured Alejandra into his van on the morning of her disappearance. Alejandra was familiar with Rios, making it easier for him to gain her trust. He then drove Alejandra to Delaware County were he raped and strangled her before dumping her body in a remote area. Later, after Alejandra was reported missing, Rios went to her family's home to tell them that he was praying for her and her family. Days later, Rios argued with his wife Ana over household chores. It was this argument that eventually led to Rios beating and murdering Ana and then their three children. 

Thynna, Liliana, and Katherinne 

This was  not Rios' first incidence of domestic violence. In fact, he was charged with domestic battery in 2003 after he reportedly beat his wife in front of their oldest daughter, Liliana. Court records state that Rios received a one year suspended jail sentence, one year of supervised probation and was ordered to have no contact with his wife. However, the no-contact order was lifted two months later.

After Rios was charged with murdering his family and Alejandra, prosecutors sought the death penalty. However, in April 2007, he pleaded guilty to Alejandra's murder in exchange for the death penalty being taken off the table. In September 2008, Rios once again pleaded guilty to murdering his wife and children in exchange for the death penalty being taken off the table. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison.

Just a month after he pleaded guilty to murdering his family, Rios was found dead in his jail cell. His death was ruled a suicide. 

The Disappearance & Murder of Kayla Reed

Kayla Reed was last seen at her family’s home in Livermore, California on December 2nd, 2005. According to her mother Angel Sheets, Kayla, then 15, was a habitual runaway— and on the evening of December 2nd, Kayla allegedly was last seen with a full face of makeup on right before she told her mother she was going sleep. Due to this, Angel suspected that Kayla was going to sneak out to meet her friends that night. The following morning, Angel called the police around 10:30 AM to report that Kayla was gone.

Detectives showed up at Angel’s home shortly after she called to report Kayla missing, but when they knocked on the door, Angel did not answer. She later stated that she fell asleep and did not hear the detectives knocking on the door. Angel waited two more days before contacting the police again on December 5th, 2005. This time, she successfully filed a missing person's report for Kayla. However, Angel told detectives about her suspicions about Kayla sneaking out the night she vanished; due to this, Kayla was classified as a runaway.

Detectives initially focused on Kayla’s MySpace page in the early stages of the investigation, as it was theorized that Kayla might have met up with somebody she met on the site. That theory never panned out, as investigators could not find any evidence that Kayla was corresponding with somebody she did not know on MySpace. 

Then, on January 10th, 2006, the investigation took an unexpected turn: Kayla’s body was found floating in the Delta Mendota Canal. An autopsy was unable to determine her cause of death, but it was reportedly clear that she had been murdered. Additionally, the autopsy revealed that Kayla had been dead for over a month by the time she was found—the same amount of time she had been missing. 

A year and a half after Kayla’s body was found, investigators announced that Kayla’s mother, Angel, was a person of interest in Kayla’s murder. Angel’s friend, Dennis Murphy, was also declared a person of interest.

Angel Sheets & Dennis Murphy

Throughout the investigation, detectives learned that Angel and Dennis were the last known people to have seen Kayla alive. Both Angel and Dennis also gave conflicting stories to detectives as well. Angel originally stated that she was the only other person in the house on the evening of December 2nd. Later, she admitted that Dennis had come over that night to do meth. Angel said that before she went to bed that night, she asked Dennis to keep an eye on Kayla in case she tried to sneak out. 

When Angel woke up the next morning, she said that both Kayla and Dennis were gone. Dennis, on the other hand, admitted to going to Angel’s house on the evening of December 2nd, but he told police that he left when Angel and Kayla began to argue. He said that he returned to Angel’s house the following morning, and at that time, Kayla was gone, and Angel seemed upset.

Despite their conflicting statements, neither Angel nor Dennis have been charged with anything related to Kayla’s death. Many of Kayla’s other family members believe that Angel knows exactly what happened to Kayla and that her “lifestyle” is likely what lead to Kayla’s death. The investigation into Kayla’s case is still ongoing today. If you have any information that could lead to an arrest, please contact the Livermore Police Department at (925) 371-4900.

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Sources:
The Mercury News
Patch
SF Gate
Tapatalk

The Murder of Reina Swierski

source: East Bay News

Reina Swierski was brutally murdered by her husband Gary Swierski on March 9th, 2005. The then-34-year-old woman was reported missing by Ted Mattman, a man with whom Reina was having an affair. Reina is originally from the Ukraine, but moved to Sunnyvale, California as a mail-order bride for her husband Gary.

Gary Swierski. (source: Daily Mail)

Reina reportedly suffered physical abuse at the hands of Gary, and she confided to her family members and to Ted about what she was going through. Her loved ones reportedly saw numerous bruises and marks on Reina throughout her relationship with Gary as well. When Ted was unable to get ahold of Reina on March 9th, he was immediately concerned for her safety, and told police about her husband's abusive tendencies.

Police went to the home that Gary and Reina shared but found no sign of Reina. Later, Gary spoke to an officer and said that Reina had packed her belongings and left the house. He explained that he believed his wife was having an affair and he did not know where she went. 

However, police were not convinced that Reina had just run off. She had a job at a Baja Fresh restaurant in Sunnyvale, and her boss told police that she had not missed a single shift in her five years of working there - until her disappearance. Additionally, Reina's friends told police that it would be uncharacteristic of her to leave without telling anyone. Still, at that point, police did not have evidence that a crime had been committed.

Three years after Reina's disappearance, in 2008, hikers found a human skull in Castle Rock State Park near Boulder Creek, California. It took two years to identify the remains, but in 2010, dental records confirmed that the skull belonged to Reina Swierski. Her death was classified as a homicide. 

In February 2011, police got another break in the investigation when Gary Swierski's then-21 year-old daughter, Eva Swierski, walked into a police station and said that she had a secret she could no longer live with. It was about her stepmother's death. 

Eva Swierski. (source: Daily Mail)

Eva explained that back in 2005, when she was only 16, she lived with Gary and Reina. On the day Reina was reported missing, Eva was out of the house for most of the day. However, at some point, she received a phone call from her father frantically asking her to come home. 

Eva complied, and when she arrived home, she saw her stepmother Reina's lifeless body in a bag on the floor. Gary explained to his daughter that he strangled Reina to death after finding out she was having an affair. According to court documents, Gary then grabbed Eva "by the shoulders and threatened to kill her if she did not assist him in disposing of the body."

Eva further elaborated that she helped her father carry Reina's body to his vehicle and then accompanied him on a drive to the Santa Cruz mountains. Once there, Eva watched as Gary carried Reina's body up a mountain with a shovel. He later returned without the body. Gary then threatened his daughter once again; telling her that he would kill her if he ever told anyone about Reina's murder.

After holding in this horrific secret for six years, Eva finally worked up the courage to tell the truth about what happened to Reina. Shortly thereafter, Gary was arrested and charged with Reina's murder. 

He went to trial in 2012, where he tried to argue that he killed his wife in self-defense. Still, it only took the jury a day to convict him on the murder charges. Gary was sentenced to 25 years to life.

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Sources:
Daily Mail
East Bay Times
Gold Country Media
Mercury News
People vs. Swierski