The Murder of Irasema Chavez

Irasema Chavez (33) was found brutally murdered inside her Arlington, Texas apartment on January 20th, 2012. Her murder remains unsolved to this day.

Irasema was fairly new to that area, and to the United States in general. She had grown up in Mexico but had recently relocated to Texas after she was inspired to move by her sister and brother-in-law, who already lived there. According to Irasema’s brother-in-law, Irasema had made a ton of new friends since she moved to the Arlington area, and she loved to go to dance clubs with them. Irasema had also recently come out to her family and friends as a lesbian shortly before her death.

On the night of January 19th, 2012, Irasema called her sister and asked her and her niece, who was visiting from Mexico, to come over. They declined, as Irasema’s sister did not want to drive over to her apartment that late at night. However, Irasema’s sister planned to drop her niece off at Irasema’s apartment the following day so the two could spend the day together. 

When that time came the next morning, Irasema’s sister dropped her niece off at Irasema’s apartment complex and waited until she got inside safely before she left. However, just a minute after Irasema’s niece entered her apartment, she came running back out, screaming for somebody to call the police. According to her, Irasema was dead. She had been murdered—stabbed over 100 times.

Surveillance footage from the previous night shows an unidentified person wearing a hood approaching Irasema’s door and knocking. The person is seen standing there for about a minute before the door opens and the person is let in. For several years, investigators considered this person to be a suspect.

source: YouTube

None of Irasema’s friends or family members recognized the suspect, however they believed that this person was known to Irasema, since she let them into her apartment. A clip of the surveillance footage can be viewed here.

Nearly 15 years passed without any updates in Irasema's case. Finally, in July 2026, it was announced that an arrest had been made. A 42-year-old woman named Mayra Velazquez was taken into custody on July 17th, 2026, and charged with capital murder by terror threat.

Reports state that new DNA technology linked Velazquez to Irasema's murder. Although it appears that the two women knew each other, investigators have not commented on their connection at this time. 

Velazquez remains behind bars as her charges are pending.

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Sources:
The Dallas Morning News
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, (2), (3)

People
Savage Watch

The Disappearance and Murder of Meagan Gonzales

 

Meagan Gonzales vanished in San Antonio, Texas on November 10th, 2019. The 20-year-old woman was last seen at her father's house. Meagan left after telling her father she was going to drop off her ex-boyfriend. She said she was going to return shortly, but she never did - and she was never seen alive again.

Meagan's father said he tried to report her missing the following day, but the police initially did not take her absence seriously. Days after that, Meagan's stepmother said she saw an unidentified man driving Meagan's pick-up truck. Meagan's stepmother and father attempted to confront this man, but he drove off before they could. The truck was later found abandoned at a San Antonio apartment complex.

Police officially opened a missing persons' investigation for Meagan on November 15th, 2019. Meagan's loved ones maintained that she would never leave without contacting them - which made her sudden absence very alarming. The incident involving an unidentified man driving her truck just days later caused the concerns for her safety to escalate.

Weeks later, on December 3rd, 2019, the body of a woman was found in a field near the 12000 block of Wisdom Road in Atascosa. The body had been burned beyond recognition, so it was initially difficult to make an identification. However, authorities were eventually able to confirm that the body was that of Meagan Gonzales. Her death was labeled a homicide. 

Several years have passed, and Meagan's loved ones are still left without answers or justice. In 2024, a sketch was released of a person of interest. The sketch was created based on the description of the young man who was seen driving Meagan's vehicle after her disappearance. As of today, that man remains unidentified.

Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward in exchange for information that leads to felony arrest(s) in this case. If you have any information that could help solve the murder of Meagan Gonzales, please contact authorities at 210-224-7867 or submit a tip online. 

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Sources:
FOX 7 Austin
KENS 5
KSAT, (2)
SA Crime Stoppers

Other similar cases:

• The Disappearance and Murder of Miranda Rodriguez
• Other unsolved cases from Texas
• Other unsolved cases from 2019

The Murder of Maria Gabrielle Rodriguez

 

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Maria Gabrielle Rodriguez was 31 years-old when her life was tragically taken on December 22nd, 2016. The young woman was in San Antonio, Texas at the time of her death. Maria's murder remains unsolved to this day. 

According to reports, San Antonio police were dispatched to an apartment in the 2500 block of Jackson Keller around 4:00 PM. Once officers entered the residence, they found Maria deceased in the bathroom. It was soon determined that she had been stabbed and asphyxiated. Maria's death was quickly classified as a homicide.

There has been very little information released about Maria's case and the events leading up to her death. While some early reports indicate that Maria was killed inside her own apartment, it was later reported that the apartment actually belonged to a friend. It's also been reported that Maria was spending time with a group of friends/acquaintances on the evening of December 21st, 2016. The group ended up gathering at said apartment at some point that night.

Police were not called until around 4:00 PM the following day, leaving a decent gap of time between the time Maria went to the apartment and the time she was found deceased in the bathroom. The identities of the people Maria might have been with, including the resident of the apartment, have not been publicly revealed. No suspects or persons of interest have been publicly announced as well. 

Several years have passed, and there has been very little news on Maria's case. Her murder has been classified as a cold case. San Antonio Crime Stoppers is offering a monetary reward for anyone with information that could lead to an arrest. If you have any information that could help solve the murder of Maria Rodriguez, please contact authorities at 210-224-7867 or submit a tip online. 

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Sources:
Fox San Antonio
KSAT
News 4 San Antonio
San Antonio Crime Stoppers

The Murder of Meagan 'Summer' Renee Turner

 

Meagan Renee Turner was only 28 years-old when her life was tragically taken on October 18th, 2023. The young woman, who went by the name Summer, was killed while at a Bubble Zone Carwash in San Antonio, Texas. Summer’s assailants have still not been brought to justice.

According to reports, Summer was vacuuming the backseat of her car when she was approached by three men who fired several rounds into her vehicle. Witnesses saw the men exit a vehicle that had parked near the carwash property before they ran towards Summer’s car and began shooting. Immediately after, the men ran back to their vehicle, which was being driven by another man. The car then fled before police arrived on the scene. 

First responders found Summer lying in the backseat of her car with multiple gunshot wounds on her body. She was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. It was clear that Summer had been murdered, and police soon learned from witnesses about the men who had shot her to death.  However, those men have never been identified or arrested. To this day, Summer’s killer(s) still walk free.

No information about a motive for Summer’s murder has ever been publicly revealed. It’s unknown if she was targeted or if her death was completely random. Investigators have made a public appeal for anyone with information about the three men or the driver of their getaway vehicle to come forward. A monetary reward is available in exchange for information that could lead to the arrest/conviction of Summer’s killers.

If you have any information that could help solve the murder of Meagan ‘Summer’ Renee Turner, please contact San Antonio Crime Stoppers at Crime Stoppers at (210) 224-STOP (7837) or submit a tip online.

Sources:
KSAT
News 4 San Antonio
San Antonio Crime Stoppers

The Murder of Kenisha Dixon

 

Kenisha Dixon’s life was senselessly and tragically taken from her on May 9th, 2000. 

The 21-year-old woman was at her apartment in Houston, Texas on the morning of her murder. At 11:10 AM, Kenisha heard a knock on her front door. She opened it and was immediately shot to death by the person on the other side of the door. Kenisha’s assailant fled the scene after the shooting and to this day has never been identified. 

Very little is known about Kenisha and/or the events leading up to her death. What is known is that she moved into the apartment where she was killed just two months earlier. Kenisha did not have a boyfriend but lived with a male roommate. Said roommate was reportedly not home at the time of Kenisha’s murder.

It’s also known that Kenisha seemed to be fearful of answering the door that morning. She reportedly grabbed a handgun before opening the door. Unfortunately, Kenisha was shot so quickly that she did not have time to defend herself. Investigators later discovered the handgun in close proximity to Kenisha’s body. 

Kenisha’s male roommate told police that he was the owner of said handgun. The reason why Kenisha felt she needed to bring it with her to answer the door remains a mystery. It’s clear that she was correct about any danger she might have sensed - but the reasons why she was scared, and why she was killed, are unknown to this day. 

The Houston PD stated that “investigators were able to ascertain valuable information while conducting a canvas, interviewing residents of the apartment complex and others.” Still, over 25 years have passed since Kenisha’s murder, and no arrests have been made - nor have any suspects been publicly identified.

Kenisha’s murder remains unsolved. Her case is listed as a cold case by the Houston Police Department. Anyone with information that could help solve the murder of Kenisha Dixon is asked to contact the Houston PD Cold Case Squad at 713-308-3618.

Sources:
Crime Immemorial
Houston PD Cold Cases
Our Black Girls

The Disappearance and Murder of Kristen Galvan

Kristen Galvan was only 15 years old when she vanished on January 2nd, 2020. She was last seen at her grandmother's home in Spring, Texas. Kristen left the home on the day of her disappearance and never returned. She was never seen alive by her loved ones again.

Despite the fact that Kristen left on her own accord, her loved ones immediately began to worry for her safety. Kristen's family members began to suspect that she had been sold into trafficking by an older boy whom she had been hanging out with prior to her disappearance. That boy was later identified as Aryion Jackson - a Houston-based rapper who used the stage name Yung Corleon. 

Kristen actually vanished with Jackson prior to January of 2020. During this time, Kristen's family learned that Jackson was also a pimp who had sex trafficked over a dozen girls and young women, including Kristen, at a house on Bissonnet Street. Kristen was at the house for about a week and a half before she was rescued. Unfortunately, she vanished again two and a half weeks later. 

Over the following years since this second disappearance, several leads were followed in an attempt to locate Kristen. Little did the family know, Kristen's remains had actually been found just weeks after she vanished. On January 29th, 2020, female human remains were found in Missouri City, Texas. Investigators were unable to identify the remains and subsequently labeled the unidentified female as "Jane Doe". 

It took several years, but during the summer of 2025, the human remains were finally identified as that of Kristen Galvan. After the remains were identified, investigators revealed that they believe Kristen was bound with duct tape before being stabbed to death. 

Kristen was a victim of murder, and her killer(s) have still yet to be apprehended. However, in the years that Kristen was murdered, many theories were investigated - from Kristen being trafficked in Atlanta, to someone claiming to be Kristen messaging a private investigator working the case. Now that it's known that Kristen has been deceased since 2020, many other questions have arisen...such as, who impersonated Kristen in 2021, and why? Why did it take so long for Kristen's remains to be identified? And perhaps the most haunting question: who killed Kristen?

Bissonnet Street.

As previously noted, Kristen was rescued from a house on Bissonnet Street just two and a half weeks before her January 2020 disappearance. When she vanished for a second time, her family inevitably wanted to investigate both the house and Aryion Jackson.

Kristen's family went to Bissonnet Street to search, but they saw no signs of her. Jackson was questioned, but he claimed that he did not have any knowledge of Kristen's whereabouts. In fact, he denied knowing Kristen altogether. Jackson was later sentenced to 27 years in prison after pleading guilty to sex trafficking minors with force, fraud or coercion.

Aryion Jackson (image source)

Jackson has not been charged with anything related to Kristen's current case. 

The Atlanta lead.

During the spring of 2021, authorities publicly announced that they, too, believe that Kristen is a victim of sex trafficking. In fact, people have reported that they've seen Kristen's picture on a website that is well-known for prostitution. Rumors also began to swirl that Kristen was being trafficked in Atlanta. 

A private investigator hired by Kristen's family traveled to Atlanta to follow these leads. She reportedly found some of the girls listed on the website, but she was unable to find Kristen. 

Latasha's testimony.

That same month, the private investigator was contacted by a woman named Latasha who claimed to have been held against her will and trafficked out of the same Atlanta house as Kristen. She mentioned that Kristen was pregnant at the time. Latasha said that she managed to escape from the traffickers and felt guilty about leaving Kristen behind. 

The private investigator noted that Latasha provided information about Kristen that "nobody else would have known". However, Latasha later spoke to the FBI, and her testimony was deemed as not credible. 

The baby.

At an unknown date in the spring/summer of 2021, the private investigator received a Facebook message from a person claiming to be Kristen. The messages said that she had borrowed a phone from a man who "did not know the rules". The message also said that she had just given birth in a Port-a-Potty and was forced to leave the baby behind, and she wanted her mom to go get the baby.

On June 3rd, 2021, a deceased infant was found in a Port-a-Potty in Houston, umbilical cord still attached. A test was requested to see if the baby's DNA was a match to Kristen's DNA. Four months later, the private investigator received a text saying that the DNA was not a match.

Other remaining questions.

Although the DNA from the deceased infant was reportedly not a match to Kristen, it seems odd that the private investigator never received the requested documentation with the DNA results. It also seems suspicious that the private investigator received a message that Kristen had given birth in a port-a-potty, and then a deceased infant was found in one. It's possible that someone was pretending to be Kristen - but who? And why?

The private investigator tried to get in touch with Latasha at a later date and learned that Latasha had passed away. She messaged some people on Latasha's Facebook friend list to see what happened. She was told by a friend that she was murdered, but Latasha's mother said that she had suffered an aneurism. 

The unidentified remains.

As previously noted, female human remains were found in Missouri County, Texas on January 29th, 2020 - just weeks after Kristen's disappearance. Investigators were unable to make an identification and labeled the deceased as a Jane Doe. 

Kristen's mother reportedly learned about said human remains during 2022, when she came across the Jane Doe's (now-deleted) NamUs profile. She subsequently asked law enforcement to test the remains' DNA to see if the body belonged to Kristen. The law enforcement officers working the case reportedly told Kristen's mother that they did not believe the remains belonged to Kristen. DNA was not tested at that time.

July 2025: DNA is finally tested.

In July 2025, Kristen's mother finally provided a DNA sample to be compared to the unidentified remains. The following month, Kristen's mother was notified that the DNA had been a match; the remains did, in fact, belong to Kristen Galvan. At that point, it was confirmed that Kristen had been a victim of murder of five years earlier.

No arrests have been made for Kristen's murder. The case is still ongoing. Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of Kristen's killer(s) is asked to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office at 936-760-5800.

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Sources:
Charley Project
The Guardian

KHOU
YouTube

The Disappearance of Ryan Esparza

Source: NCMEC

Ryan Esparza has been missing since June 14th, 2007. The then-17-year-old left his home in Pasadena, Texas that day after receiving a phone call from a friend, asking him to meet up at a basketball court at Highlands Park. Ryan was expected back home that evening, but he never returned. He has never been seen or heard from again.

Ryan's mother reported him missing on June 15th. She also reached out to the friend Ryan was meeting at the park that day. Said friend told Ryan's mother that he and Ryan met up and shot hoops at the basketball court for about 20 minutes. Then, according to the friend, Ryan walked away to take a phone call and never returned. 

Investigators searched a five-mile radius around the park but did not find any sign of Ryan. There also did not appear to be any evidence that Ryan ran away. He did not have a history of running away, nor did he have a history of mental illness. Ryan's loved ones do not believe he would walk away from his life. He had a girlfriend who was approximately six months pregnant with his child at the time of his disappearance. The baby, born a few months later, was named Ryan Jr. after his father. 

As the months grew into years without any sign of Ryan, his disappearance grew into a cold case. His mother stated that she had heard rumors over the years that Ryan was accused of stealing marijuana from a childhood friend prior to his disappearance. However, it was reportedly not a large amount of marijuana. Ryan's mother also stated that investigators said they did not find any evidence that these rumors are linked to Ryan's disappearance.

Still, Ryan's mother has grown skeptical of the story told by the other friend with whom Ryan planned to meet at the park that day. In 2023, when asked if she believed the friend's story, Ryan's mother replied, "No, not anymore, because nobody else said he was at that park, so I don't know if he even made it there." This friend has never been publicly identified, and he has not been labeled a suspect.

Ryan remains missing today. If you have any information that could help solve his case, please contact the Pasadena Police Department at 713-477-1221 or Pasadena Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

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Sources:
Charley Project
Fox 26 Houston
Medium
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

The Disappearance of Danielyelle Jolene White

 

Danielyelle Jolene White has been missing since the spring of 2004. The then-23-year-old was living in Killeen, Texas at the time of her disappearance. Reports state that Danielyelle lived on 22nd Street and also often frequented the Gilmer Street area. 

Danielyelle was reported missing in June 2004 by a man named Ernest T. Turner, who claimed to be her father. Throughout the investigation, detectives determined that Danielyelle was last seen in Killeen on May 21st, 2004. Detectives also learned that Turner is not actually Danielyelle's biological father, and it's unclear why he told authorities that they are related.

Reports indicate that Danielyelle's family members were not notified about her disappearance for several months. An article from 2005 states that Danielyelle's mother, Sharon Clark, learned on December 1st, 2004, that her daughter had been reported missing by Ernest T. Turner. Clark told authorities that she had not seen Danielyelle since April 2004.

Danielyelle's last encounter with her mother occurred at a courthouse in Belton. At the time, Danielyelle was reportedly struggling with substance abuse and various other mental health issues. The court subsequently gave custody of Danielyelle's son to her mother. The court also banned Danielyelle from living in the home with her son. As a result, she moved in with Turner. 

Family and friends of Danielyelle grew very concerned upon learning that she had been missing for several months. According to her mother, Danielyelle had been committed to mental health facilities 21 times in the years leading up to her disappearance. In addition to her struggles with mental health and substance abuse, Danielyelle also reportedly had associations with local gangs. All of these circumstances raised concerns for Danielyelle's safety from both her loved ones and investigators.

Over two decades have passed, and Danielyelle's case remains unsolved. There are still very few details available about the events leading up to her disappearance. The investigation is still open, though it's considered a cold case.

If you have any information that could help solve the disappearance of Danielyelle White, please contact the Killeen Police Department at 254-501-8830 or submit a tip online.

Sources:
Bell County Crime Stoppers
Charley Project
KDH News, (2)
NamUs

The Murder of Kylie Warren

 

Kylie Warren was shot to death inside her Converse, Texas home during the early-morning hours of October 23rd, 2016. The 26-year-old woman left behind three young children, amongst several other heartbroken family members and loved ones. To this day, Kylie's killer has still not been brought to justice.

Kylie was reportedly going through a divorce with her husband, John Andrew Garza, at the time of her murder. According to family members, Kylie married Garza "in secret" six years prior at the Justice of the Peace office. It seems likely that Kylie hid the marriage from her family due to their concerns about Garza being controlling and abusive. Kylie's mother said that they feared for Kylie's safety throughout her relationship with Garza, and that several attempts were made to get Kylie out of this marriage.

By the fall of 2016, it appears that Kylie finally did decide to move on from Garza. In fact, she had reportedly began seeing another man. On October 20th - just three days before the murder - Garza reportedly confronted Kylie and this man at Kylie's home. During this confrontation, Garza allegedly fired his gun at the man, but the bullet did not strike. Nobody was physically injured during the incident. 

Reports indicate that Kylie's children were staying with Kylie's mother, Cherin Ehlke, during this time. On October 23rd, Ehlke sent pictures of the children at pumpkin patch to Kylie's phone. Kylie did not reply, which was very unusual. Knowing something was not right, Ehlke eventually called police and asked for a wellness check at Kylie's residence.

When police arrived, they found Kylie deceased on her kitchen floor. She had been killed by a gunshot wound to the head. Garza was quickly labeled as the main suspect in the case. He was eventually arrested and indicted on murder charges. However, in June 2018, both Kylie's family members and detectives were shocked to learn that the charges against Garza had been dropped.

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An abrupt stop to justice.

Kylie's family stated that they did not receive many updates after Garza's arrest. As such, they believed that the case was moving forward as any other case would. In fact, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar stated that "our detective did quite an outstanding job" getting the case to the point of indictment.

It wasn't until June 2018 that both Kylie's family members and Salazar were informed that the DA's office requested the case to be dismissed; citing that the case was "not sufficient for prosecution." Both Kylie's family members and detectives were surprised by this decision. Salazar stated that there were "no known issues" with the case. 

Still, when the case was dismissed, a public appeal was made for anyone with information about Kylie's murder to come forward. To this day, the question remains: will Kylie's killer ever be brought to justice? A look back into Kylie's life and the events surrounding her murder may hold the answers needed to move the case forward.

More about Kylie.

Various reports indicate that Kylie was a kind and fun-loving young woman. She enjoyed fashion and spending time with her family members. Kylie's loved ones described her as a dedicated mother who loved to take her children on fun outings. 

As previously noted, though, Kylie's adult life was not without hardship. Her relationship and eventual marriage to John Andrew Garza raised concerns with her loved ones. Now those loved ones are left questioning: did this relationship cost Kylie her life?

Relationship with John Andrew Garza.

According to Project Cold Case, in 2010 "Kylie secretly married her [Garza] at a justice of the peace office. The relationship had a history of troubles, and the issues had not gone unnoticed." Kylie's mother stated that her once-strong bond she shared with Kylie began to dwindle as she grew closer to Garza.

Over the next few years, Kylie's relationship with Garza continued to be rocky. At one point, Kylie went to Colorado to stay with her best friend while she attempted to leave the marriage. However, Garza eventually showed up in Colorado and convinced Kylie to come back to Texas. 

This pattern seemingly continued after Kylie returned to Texas. The profile on Kylie's case on Project Cold Case states that "countless attempts were made to protect Kylie, including police escorts to women’s shelters, filing for divorce, and moving back home with her mom. But nothing was a success."

The October 20th incident. 

By October 2016, Kylie had finally obtained a protective order against Garza. She also began seeing another man. Garza violated the protective order on October 20th, 2016, when he confronted both Kylie and the new man at her home. As noted above, Garza fired a gun during this incident, but nobody was physically injured. 

The murder.

Kylie was found deceased inside her home on October 23rd, 2016. It was quickly determined that she died after being shot in the head. It's believed she was killed around 2:00 AM.

 

Investigators worked to retrace Kylie's steps prior to her murder. They soon learned that she had been out with friends that night. They also were able to obtain surveillance footage from Kylie's neighborhood that showed a black SUV leaving her home around 2:30 that morning. 

Source: News 4 San Antonio

Garza's arrest and subsequent dropped charges.

John Andrew Garza seemed like an obvious suspect from the onset of the investigation. Not only did Kylie have a restraining order against him, but he had also fired a gun in Kylie's home just three days before she was shot to death. As noted, both detectives and Kylie's family members felt that Kylie's case was moving towards justice. 

In June 2018, the murder charges were officially dropped. It's known that the DA did not feel there was enough evidence to prosecute Garza - but it's unknown exactly how/why they came to that conclusion. It's possible that they have not been able to definitively link the black SUV to Garza. It's also possible that the friends that Kylie was with that night have not been completely ruled out. If the case, then it appears that there is still a decent amount of reasonable doubt. 

Where the case stands today.

Kylie's murder case is still considered open, though at this time, it's now labeled as a cold case. Both the Bexar County Sheriff's Office and San Antonio Crime Stoppers are investigating. If you have any information that could help solve the murder of Kylie Warren, please contact the sheriff's office at (210) 335-6000 or submit a tip online.

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Sources:
ABC KSAT 12, (2)
News 4 San Antonio
Project Cold Case

The Disappearance of Jeremy Vasquez

 

Jeremy Vasquez has been missing since February 20th, 2020. The then 16-year-old was last seen at his family's home in Victoria, Texas. On the day of his disappearance, Jeremy walked into a wooded area behind his home with his dog. The dog later returned, but Jeremy did not. He has never been seen or heard from again. 

The day Jeremy vanished was a Thursday. He had school that day but did not go after waking up to a fight between his father and stepmother. A short time later, another disagreement prompted him to leave the residence, saying he needed to get some fresh air. Jeremy's stepmother said she saw him and his dog walking into the woods. This appears to be the last confirmed sighting of Jeremy.

Hours later, Jeremy's dog returned to the home without Jeremy. This was immediately worrisome to his loved ones, as it was uncharacteristic for him to separate from his dog while on a walk. Additionally, Jeremy did not have a history of running away, nor did he pack any of his personal belongings when he left the home.

Despite this, family members said that police treated Jeremy's case as a "routine runaway case" after he was reported missing. As such, Jeremy's disappearance did not receive much public attention. Family and friends then took matters into their own hands by spreading information about his disappearance on social media. Reward money was offered as well. Unfortunately, this did not appear to lead to any substantial tips.

In 2023, police finally reclassified Jeremy's case as an endangered missing child. Since then, though, no updates or information about the investigation have been publicly provided. A 2025 report on Jeremy's disappearance states that "local authorities and volunteers have conducted numerous searches over the years, but no significant leads have emerged."

Jeremy is described as a Hispanic male with brown hair and brown eyes. At the time of his disappearance, he was somewhere between 5'7"-6'0" and approximately 140 lbs. If you have any information that could help solve Jeremy's disappearance, please contact the Victoria Police Department at 361-573-3221 or submit a tip online.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Crossroads Today, (2)

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Similar cases:

• The Disappearance of Rosalyn Velazquez
• The Disappearance of Stefanie Damron

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 Benita Woody

Source: Facebook

Benita Woody has been missing since August 5th, 2020. The then-42-year-old woman lived in McKinney, Texas at the time of her disappearance. Benita was last seen near her residence on the morning she vanished. She was driving her gray GMC Yukon. Benita never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again. 

Hours after that last sighting, police in a rural area of Candian County, Oklahoma found said GMC Yukon abandoned on Westbound Interstate 40. It was determined that the car was registered to Benita Woody - but at that time, she was not a missing person. As a result, police tagged the car and just left it where it was found. After five days passed, and the vehicle still remained, police had it towed. 

At the time the car was towed - on August 10th, 2020 - Benita still had not been reported missing. She lived alone at the time of her disappearance, as her children were grown and lived out of state. Due to this, it took over a week for family members and friends to piece together that Benita had seemingly vanished without a trace. She was finally reported missing to the McKinney Police on August 14th, 2020.

Throughout the investigation, detectives in McKinney learned that Benita's GMC Yukon had been found abandoned, and was towed, in Canadian County, Oklahoma. It was eventually determined that her cell phone pinged off a tower in Canadian County on August 5th. This is the last known sign of Benita on any electronic trail. 

It's worth noting that the area where Benita's car was found is an approximate three-and-a-half-hour drive away from McKinney. It's unknown why Benita would travel there, or if she even drove the vehicle there herself. Her family noted that a half-eaten burrito was found in the car - which they insist did not belong to Benita, as she did not eat burritos. There was also no further sign of Benita in or around the vehicle.

Years have passed, and Benita still remains missing. Her family is still searching for answers in her case. Authorities in both Texas and Oklahoma are investigating Benita's disappearance. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the McKinney Police Department at 972-547-2700 or the Canadian County Sheriff's Office at 405-295-6763.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Medium
NamUs
Our Black Girls

The Murder of Mikiko Kasahara

 

21-year-old Mikiko Kasahara was found murdered inside her apartment in Seguin, Texas on the morning of December 14th, 2002. 

It was shortly before 9:30 AM when police were alerted about a structure fire inside one of the units in an apartment building at 964 San Antonio Street. After first responders extinguished the flames, they found Mikiko's lifeless body. Police determined that she had been killed by homicidal violence before her apartment was set on fire. 

Mikiko is originally from Japan. At the time of her death, she was in an exchange student program at Texas Lutheran University. In December 2002, Mikiko had a lot to celebrate. She had just finished her first semester at the university with excellent grades and was recognized by the Dean's List. 

On the evening of December 13, 2002, Mikiko hosted a gathering at her apartment to celebrate the end of the semester. The party was attended by several guests, most of whom were fellow Japanese exchange students. The celebration reportedly continued until around 5:00 AM. Sometime between 6:00 and 9:23 AM is when investigators believe the tragedy struck—Mikiko was murdered, and both her body and apartment were set ablaze. 

Mikiko's autopsy report revealed that, despite attending a party just hours before her death, she had no drugs or alcohol in her system. The injuries on her body indicated she had endured a violent death, with the report stating that Mikiko "died as a result of homicidal violence including but not limited to strangulation."

In the early stages of the investigation, detectives had numerous individuals to question, as several people had been at Mikiko's residence shortly before she was found dead. They conducted multiple interviews; however, no suspects were identified. Just a month after the murder, reports indicated that "law enforcement hadn't determined the motive for killing Mikiko and that there were no suspects in the case."

Now, over two decades later, Mikiko's tragic death remains unsolved, and detectives seem no closer to cracking the case. Very few details about the investigation have been disclosed to the public. On the tenth anniversary of her murder, investigators stated, "We feel very confident that it wasn’t somebody from Japan, but it was somebody that knew her, had some connection to her." Beyond this, no additional information regarding a possible suspect has emerged.

Mikiko's murder remains unsolved today. There is a monetary reward available for anyone with information that could lead the arrest/conviction of Mikiko's killer(s). If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Texas Rangers at 1-800-346-3243 or submit a tip online.

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Sources:

Click 2 Houston
Hub Pages
Seguin Gazette
Texas Department of Public Safety