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: 88-20798
Date Reported: December 16, 1988
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Charles McCumber
Gender Male
Race Caucasian/White
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Gun/Firearm
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location E. of Mile 2 1/2 E. Mile 6 3/4 N.
Mercedes Texas, 78570
Hidalgo
L.E.A Hidalgo Co. Sheriff's Office
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: 11-39412
Date Reported: September 18, 2011
VICTIM DETAILS
Name John Doe 7 AKA: Niero
Gender Unknown
Race Unknown
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Blunt Force
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location San Bernardino Dr.
Alamo Texas, 78516
Hidalgo
L.E.A Hidalgo Co. Sheriff's Office
CCR: Unknown
Date Reported: June 5, 2001
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Genaro Melendez
Age 30
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Offense Murder
Cause Gun/Firearm
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
L.E.A Cameron County Sheriff's Dept

Cold Case Spotlight

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A 30-year-old man survived a kidnapping only to be captured and murdered a few years later, authorities continue to look for his murderer two decades later. As the lone survivor in a drug-related kidnapping, Genaro Melendez believed he was in the clear for years but he was kidnapped again in 2001. Melendez was lured into a vehicle at approximately 2:30 a.m. on June 5, 2001, to never again be seen alive. A few days later Melendez’s body was discovered in an empty field, near Boca Chica Beach. His body was found “tied up and had sustained three shots through the head,” according to Cameron County Sheriff at the time, Conrado M Cantu. Sheriff Cantu told reporters from the Brownsville Herald that Melendez’s body appeared to have been killed “execution-style.” The investigation revealed that Melendez’s murder was drug-related. The Cameron County Sheriffs Office does have a person of interest in this case, however, no arrests have been made and the case remains active. If you have any information on this case, please call the Cameron County Crime Stoppers at their hotline: (866)-350-5551 or (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: 11-39560
Date Reported: September 19, 2011
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Artemio Olivares Garza
Age 49
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name Unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Blunt Force
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location N. of Exp. on El Pinto W. on La Pinta
Sullivan City Texas, 78595
Hidalgo
L.E.A Hidalgo Co. Sheriff'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: 91-03917
Date Reported: March 14, 1991
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Edgar Ricardo Carrillo
Age 29
Gender Male
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name unknown
Offense Murder
Cause Gun/Firearm
Location unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location E. SH 107
Edinburg Texas, 78539
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: 13-55130
Date Reported: October 25, 2013
VICTIM DETAILS
Name Jolissa "Socorro" Rangel
Age 20
Gender Female
Race Hispanic/Latino
SUSPECT DETAILS
Name 3 Unknown Suspects
Offense Murder
Cause Gun/Firearm
Location Unknown
CASE DETAILS
Status Unsolved
Incident location 1702 S Closner Blvd
Edinburg Texas, 78539
Hidalgo County
L.E.A Edinburg Police Department

Cold Case Spotlight

On Friday, October 25, 2013, around 9:30 pm Jolissa ‘Socorro” Rangel a 20-year-old female was found shot to death inside her apartment located 2400 block of Kimberly Lane in Edinburg, Texas with a gunshot wound to her heart. Rangel lived with her 2-year-old son and her sister. No justice, No Peace! The family is offering a cash reward of up to $5,000 to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of the person/persons responsible for the murder of Jolissa Rangel.