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: 01-25146
Date Reported: November 18, 2001
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Maria Oralia Castro
Age 60
Gender Female
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Blunt Force
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 1/2 Mile East of Filegoria West on Monte Alto
L.E.A Hidalgo Co. Sheriff's Office
CCR: 91-2243
Date Reported: February 12, 1991
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Jesus Cantu
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Gun/Firearm
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 1/2 Mile S. of Ingle Rd on U.S. 281 E. side
Edinburg TX, 78539
Hidalgo
L.E.A Hidalgo Co. Sheriff's Office
3 decades have passed and Jesus Cantu's murder is still unsolved with very little information. No Justice, No Peace.
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: Unknown
Date Reported: February 15, 2017
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Jose Guadalupe Martinez
Age 50
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Gun/Firearm
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 2485 Military Highway
Brownsville Texas, 78520
Cameron
L.E.A Brownsville Police Dept.

Cold Case Spotlight

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Jose Guadalupe Martinez was found murdered in his office in 2017. Investigators have been able to narrow the timeline of when he was killed, but the case still remains unsolved. At 7:49 p.m. on March 15, 2017, officers responded to Milo’s Tire Shop, located at 2485 Military Highway in Brownsville after a body was found. A man discovered the body, and went to a neighbor who was close by. When the two returned, a third man was there at the scene. The three men then called police and waited for officers to arrive. Upon arrival, officers found Martinez face down, in a pool of blood in his office. He had a gunshot wound to his head, and investigators found one bullet casing at the scene. The man who originally discovered Martinez’ body arrived at the store at 7:35 p.m. to pay for some rims he had purchased. Investigators at the scene later found a receipt Martinez had from a purchase at a dollar store at 7 p.m. that same day. With this information, they were able to determine that Martinez was murdered at some time between 7 p.m. and 7:35 p.m. However, Brownsville police said they have “no leads whatsoever,” with the case.
CCR: 94-11998
Date Reported: May 10, 1994
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Unknown
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Blunt Force
Location unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 1 mile E of tower on Owassa
L.E.A Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office
CCR: Unknown
Date Reported: October 26, 1992
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Marcelino Velazco
Age 17
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Offense Murder
Cause Gun/Firearm
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
L.E.A Cameron County Sheriff's Office

Cold Case Spotlight

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — In 1992, officers received a call about a body found along the banks of the Rio Grande. Nearly 30 years later, the case remains unsolved. On Oct. 26, 1992, the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office received information that there was a body buried along the banks of the Rio Grande in the area of FM 1419. The next day, investigators found a shallow grave with the body of a man wrapped in a blue tarp. After forensic testing, the body was identified as 17-year-old Marcelino Velazco. Velazco had previously been reported missing. He was last seen on Aug. 22, 1992, getting inside of a small, red two-door T-top vehicle at the 6000 block of Camelia Street in Brownsville. The Sheriff’s Office said that there were two “unknown” men in the vehicle. An autopsy revealed that Velazco was struck by a bullet in the upper spinal cord. In a 1992 report by the Valley Morning Star, Cameron County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Ernesto Flores said the murder was “drug-related”, stating Velazco had been involved in trafficking. Authorities said that the murder could have been connected to the slaying of three other men who were found on a Mexican ranch. Previous reports revealed that the suspects tied Velazco with a heavy rope and that his remains had been clawed by animals roaming the area. According to the Valley Morning Star’s report, Velazco’s mother told deputies that two men in Matamoros had confessed to the murder. The two men, Victor Rivera, 19, and Heriberto Ortego Ruiz, were incarcerated for confessing to the murder of three Matamoros residents. “I talked to Mexican authorities, and they said the men arrested never confessed to killing Velazco,” Flores said in the Valley Morning Star’s report. Those with information are asked to contact the Cameron County Crime Stoppers at (956) 350-5551.
CCR: 89-02770
Date Reported: February 18, 1989
VICTIM DETAILS
Name David Sanchez Guerra
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Gun/Firearm
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 10 1/2 North & 4 1/2 West
Weslaco Texas, 78596
Hidalgo
L.E.A Hidalgo Co. Sheriff's Office
CCR: Unknown
Date Reported: June 14, 1998
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Maria Marisella Gonzalez
Gender Female
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Blunt Force
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location Hudson Road
San Benito Texas, 78586
Cameron
L.E.A Cameron County Sheriff's Office

Cold Case Spotlight

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) – A woman well known by the community disappeared with no trace only for her flesh-eaten body to be discovered days later in a resaca, leaving authorities with no leads. 23 years later, the murder of Maria Marisella Gonzalez remains unsolved. Also known as “Marcie,” Gonzalez was a dancer at Crazy Horse Topless Bar. Gonzalez was last seen spending time in Harlingen’s La Placita district on June 8, 1998. Witnesses told authorities that Gonzalez was seen entering a vehicle with a man. The dancer was discovered dead in a resaca near Hudson Road outside San Benito on June 14, 1998, according to the Cameron County Sheriffs’ Office. Gonzalez’s body was found with multiple skull and facial fractures with her face flesh eaten away by “whatever lies in the murky waters.” The 35-year-old woman was identified as “Marcie” through her clothing, jewelry, and the tattoo of a rose on her right shoulder. According to an autopsy report released at the time, Gonzalez’s cause of death was determined to be three blows to the head and face delivered with a blunt object. Preliminary pathology reports ruled her death as a homicide. CCSO Investigator at the time Domingo Diaz told reporters that the agency has questioned all of Gonzalez’s acquaintances but had no leads. Diaz stated that he was sure that “someone saw… something.” As a rise in murders spiked during the time of Gonzalez’s death, reporters spoke with other county officials. Hidalgo County District Attorney Rene Guerra emphasized the importance of witnesses, stating murders like Gonzalez’s, that lack witnesses tend to go unsolved. This case remains an open investigation. Individuals with any information on this case are asked to call the Cameron County Crime Stoppers at their hotline: (866)-350-5551 or (956)-350-5551.
CCR: Unknown
Date Reported: August 27, 1988
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Ruth A. Melton
Age 79
Gender Female
Race Caucasian/White
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Blunt Force
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location Unknown
Unknown
Weslaco Texas, 78596
Hidalgo County
L.E.A Weslaco Police Department
On the night of August 26-27, 1988, an unknown person entered the home of Ruth Melton, 79-year-old women bludgeoned to death. An unknown suspect(s) entered the house through an unlocked door and went into Ruth`s bedroom, where he beat her to death. It is unknown what weapon the suspect(s) used in the beating. An autopsy confirmed that Ruth`s death was caused by a blunt force object to the head. She suffered a fractured skull and created a massive blood loss.
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