Rio Grande Valley Friends and Families of Murdered Children

Rio Grande Valley Friends and Families of Murdered Children

Proudly Introduces the RIO PROJECT COLD CASE HOMICIDE DATABASE: A Regional Initiative to Spotlight Unsolved Murders and Amplify the Voices of Victims and Their Families

The Rio Grande Valley Families and Friends of Murdered Children (RGV-FFOMC) is honored to announce the launch of the Rio Project Cold Case Homicide Database—a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to centralize and bring public attention to unsolved homicide cases throughout the Rio Grande Valley. This comprehensive and publicly accessible database will be a powerful tool for elevating awareness, supporting grieving families, and encouraging renewed investigative efforts.

Phase I – County Coverage:
The initial rollout will include unsolved homicide cases submitted from the following four counties:
  • Hidalgo County
  • Cameron County
  • Starr County
  • Willacy County

Each entry will be verified and submitted by either:
  • Local law enforcement agencies, or
  • Surviving family members seeking to keep their loved one’s memory alive and case visible.
RGV-FFOMC plans to expand the database to include additional counties across the region as resources allow.

Why This Matters:
Keeping a homicide victim’s case in the public eye not only honors their memory but also increases the likelihood of generating new leads, witnesses, or information that may help bring justice—visibility matters. Awareness saves cases.

How to Submit a Case:
Families or law enforcement agencies wishing to submit an unsolved homicide case for inclusion may do so by completing the official Case Summary -
Cold Case Submission - Google Forms

Submission Form. Submission does not guarantee immediate inclusion; all entries are subject to verification and review.

⚠️ Please Note:

Rio Project Cold Case is not a private investigative service. This initiative is strictly for public awareness and advocacy purposes. All investigative matters remain under the jurisdiction of the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

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167 cases found.
CCR: 96-24404
Date Reported: August 24, 1996
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Unknown
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Beaten/Battered
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 1/4 south of Fm 2221 on Iowa Rd
Mission Tx, 78574
L.E.A Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office
CCR: 14-38057
Date Reported: September 15, 2014
VICTIM DETAILS
Name John Doe 1
Gender Unknown
Race Unknown
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Blunt Force
Location unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 8800 Tex-Mex
Edinburg Texas, 78539
Hidalgo
L.E.A Hidalgo Co. Sherriff's Office
CCR: 88-6088
Date Reported: April 8, 1988
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Diana Perez
Gender Female
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Gun/Firearm
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 1/4 Mile E. of Texan on FM 2221
Mission Texas, 78574
Hidalgo
L.E.A Hidalgo Co. Sheriff's Office
On April 8th, 1988, bar owner and operator Diana Perez was fatally shot in her own bar (Perez Bar). This case remains unsolved for over 3 decades. She will forever be remembered. No justice, No peace.
CCR: 09-18424
Date Reported: May 11, 2009
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Benjamin Soto
Age 29
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Blunt Force
Location unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location N. Mile 8 on Moorefield Rd.
Alton Texas, 78573
Hidalgo
L.E.A Hidalgo Co. Sherriff's Office

Cold Case Spotlight

CCR: 03-31820
Date Reported: December 31, 2003
VICTIM DETAILS
Name John Doe 6
Gender Male
Race Caucasian/White
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Blunt Force
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Arrest Made
Incident location F.M. 493 & 12 1/2 N. E. on Victoria Rd.
Donna Texas, 78537
Hidalgo
L.E.A Hidalgo Co. Sherriff's Office
CCR: 2014-00008696
Date Reported: February 4, 2014
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Arturo Hinojosa
Age 32
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name 23-year-old Joseph Espinoza 23-year-old Hector Nicolas Medina-Castillo and Luz Aurora Rivera-Ibarra
Offense Murder
Cause Gun/Firearm
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 4800 block of La Vista Avenue
McAllen Texas, 78501
Hidalgo County
L.E.A McAllen

Cold Case Spotlight

On Authorities are asking for the public's help in finding three people who have been identified as suspects in connection to a deadly weekend home invasion in McAllen. A home invasion off the 4800 block of La Vista Avenue left Arturo Hinojosa and David Means dead on Saturday night. McAllen police reported on Tuesday morning that three suspects have been identified. Investigators are looking for 23-year-old Joseph Espinoza on murder and aggravated robbery charges. Espinoza was last seen driving a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe. McAllen police also reported that 23-year-old Hector Nicolas Medina-Castillo is also wanted on murder and possession of marijuana charges. A third suspect identified as 23-year-old Luz Aurora Rivera-Ibarra is wanted on a possession of marijuana charge. Investigators say two more suspects only known by their nicknames "El Cholo" and "Boxer" still need to be identified. Anyone with information about the suspects or the case is asked to call McAllen Crime Stoppers at (956) 687-TIPS or (956) 687-8477
CCR: 04-27413
Date Reported: October 9, 2004
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Donald Gary Hargett
Age 61
Gender Male
Race Caucasian/White
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Blunt Force
Location unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location P.O. Box 289
Linn Texas, 78563
Hidalgo
L.E.A Hidalgo Co. Sherriff's Office
CCR: 17-18620
Date Reported: May 8, 2017
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Anastacio Rocha Jr.
Age 37
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Juan David Garcia
Offense Murder
Cause Gun/Firearm
CASE DETAILS
Status Arrest Made
Incident location 3898 Gladiola Dr
Edinburg Texas, 78539
Hidalgo
L.E.A HCSO

Cold Case Spotlight

Friends found a 37-year-old San Carlos man dead late Monday night northwest of Edinburg. Family members called the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office at about 7:30 p.m. Monday to report Anastacio Rocha, 37, of San Carlos hadn’t returned home, said Sheriff Eddie Guerra. They also called OnStar, the vehicle tracking and roadside assistance service, which provided a GPS location for Rocha’s car. Four friends went to the location near Big Five Road and Mile 14, where they found Rocha dead in the car, Guerra said. Investigators haven’t said where, exactly, Rochas was located in the car when they found him. Investigators determined Rocha suffered what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head, Guerra said. The Sheriff’s Office is treating Rocha’s death as a homicide.
CCR: Unknown
Date Reported: July 16, 2017
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Nahomi Rodriguez
Age 19
Gender Female
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Unknown
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 602 N. 77
Sunshine Strip Harlingen, Texas, 78550
Cameron
L.E.A Harlingen Police Department

Cold Case Spotlight

On July 16, 2017, Nahomi Rodriguez, a 19-year old, went missing from McDonald’s in Harlingen, Texas. She was last seen alive entering a light colored early 2000s Ford Escape on surveillance video outside her work at a McDonald’s in Harlingen in July 2016. About one year later her skeletal remains were found in Rio Hondo in April 2017. Investigators believe that the same person and vehicle are captured on video from a camera inside the fast food restaurant. A man in a white cap with a black shirt pulls up to the drive-through window. Nahomi can be seen giving the unknown man a fist-punch. The Harlingen police department, law enforcement partners, and community partners are offering $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Naomi's disappearance and death.
CCR: 02-25785
Date Reported: October 18, 2002
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Charles l. Berny
Age 72
Gender Male
Race Caucasian/White
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Blunt Force
Location unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location S. Canton Rd. on Tower Rd.
Edinburg Texas, 78542
Hidalgo
L.E.A Hidalgo CO. Sherriff's Office

Cold Case Spotlight

EDINBURG - Charles "Bud" L. Berny, 72, died, Friday, October 18, 2002, at his residence in Edinburg. He was born June 22, 1930 in Edinburg, Texas. Bud graduated from Edinburg High School and Edinburg Jr. College. He farmed with his father until his father's death where he continued on his own until retirement about two years ago.