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: 02-16480
Date Reported: July 9, 2002
VICTIM DETAILS
Name John Doe 8
Age 58
Gender Male
Race Caucasian/White
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Unknown
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 9 1/4 north of Bentson Palm rd. south of Serenidad Ave.
L.E.A Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office

CCR: 17-40788
Date Reported: October 16, 2017
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Gerardo Alberto Gomez Martinez
Age 38
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Michael Valle Chavez
Offense Murder
Cause Gun/Firearm
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 12102 n Los Ebanos Rd
Alton Texas, 785733
Hidalgo
L.E.A HCSO

Cold Case Spotlight

Hidalgo County Sheriff Eddie Guerra on Tuesday identified the victim of a homicide that occurred Monday night. Gerardo Alberto Gomez Martinez, 38, of Mission was found dead near Alton. As CBS 4 News previously reported: At about 10 p.m. Monday, the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office dispatched deputies to investigate a call about shots fired near the intersection of Mile 7 and North Los Ebanos Road, said Sheriff Eddie Guerra. Investigators found a 38-year-old Hispanic man — wearing blue jeans and a red jacket — dead at the scene. “There was a four-door Nissan passenger car here at the scene. We believe that the victim got to this location in that car,” Guerra said. “The neighbors do not recognize the victim nor the vehicle.” Guerra said investigators determined the Nissan’s license plates didn’t match the vehicle.
CCR: Unknown
Date Reported: July 14, 2001
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Denise Villarreal
Age 16
Gender Female
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Offense Murder
Cause Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Arrest Made
L.E.A Cameron County Sheriff's Office

Cold Case Spotlight

On 07-14-2001, at approximately 2:45 PM, the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office received a call regarding a deceased body found one-half mile east of the Shrimp Basin off of State Highway 48 in Cameron County, Texas. The victim was later identified as Denise Villarreal. At the time of her death, Villarreal was 16 years old and listed as a runaway.
CCR: 94-7592
Date Reported: March 26, 1994
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Unknown
Gender Male
Race Unknown
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Unknown
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location about 3 miles South of Bus.83 on Valley View Rd
L.E.A Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office

CCR: 97-14339
Date Reported: September 18, 1997
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Unknown
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Unknown
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location East of FM 1423
Donna Tx, 78537
L.E.A Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office

CCR: 88-6941
Date Reported: April 23, 1988
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Hector Alaniz
Age 24
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Gun/Firearm
Location unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location Jackson & FM 1925
Edinburg Texas, 78539
Hidalgo
L.E.A Hidalgo Co. Sheriff's Office

CCR: Unknown
Date Reported: January 8, 1973
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Candyce Fletcher-Mora
Age 23
Gender Female
Race Caucasian/White
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Louis Brewster
Offense Murder
Cause Knife/Stabbing
Location deceased
CASE DETAILS
Status Solved
Incident location 411 Lozano
Harlingen Texas, 78550
Cameron County
L.E.A Harlingen Police Department

Cold Case Spotlight

In the morning hours of January 8th, 1973, the dead body of Candyce Fletcher-Mora has discovered in her apartment located at 411 Lozano in Harlingen, Texas, in the North Star Village Apartments. The autopsy revealed that Candyce was stabbed numerous times. Candyce was the mother of a two-year-old daughter. Candyce's daughter was located unharmed inside the apartment where Candyce was murdered.
CCR: Unknown
Date Reported: July 23, 1989
VICTIM DETAILS
Name John Frank Garcia
Age 37
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Missing Person (Presumed Murdered)
Cause Undisclosed
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location Unknown
Edinburg Tx, 78539
Hidalgo County
L.E.A Hidalglo County Sheriff Office
CCR: 12-13023
Date Reported: April 3, 2012
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Yasmin Jove
Age 18
Gender Female
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Blunt Force
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 10680 N. La Homa
Mission TX, 78572
Hidalgo
L.E.A Hidalgo Co. Sheriff's Office

CCR: 13-43712
Date Reported: November 2, 2013
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Eleazar Padilla Jr.
Age 28
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Gun/Firearm
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 5300 Blk Coyote Circle
Mission Texas, 78574
Hidalgo
L.E.A Hidalgo Co. Sherriff's Office

Cold Case Spotlight

28-year-old Eleazar Padilla Jr. ended up at the hospital in a coma hours after he was shot. Two weeks later, his family made the difficult decision to take him off life support. He leaves behind a wife and five children...