The fate of Erika Andrea Gaytan, a woman from Texas, who was reported missing after her whereabouts remained unknown since July, was unraveled as the mother of one was found to have been murdered.
According to the information given by the El Paso police authorities, the body of the 29-year-old woman was still not found.
The last known location of the young woman was a concert she attended on the 13th of July this summer.
A representative of the police, Enrique Carrillo, explained that even though her body was not recovered so far, the results from the investigation suggested that Gaytan was the victim of a murder.
Mr. Carrillo also said that following the investigation, police found their chief suspect in the face of 28-year-old Ricardo Marquez from El Paso, who was arrested in connection to the murder of Gaytan.
A statement put out by law enforcement officials read: “Her body has not been found, but based on forensic and other evidence gathered over the course of the investigation, detectives have reason to believe that she is deceased and was the victim of a murder.”
The first news of the disappearance of Gaytan came when her family contacted the police and reported her missing on the 16th of July.
Her relatives stated that they had not seen Gaytan since the day of the concert she went on, and it was highly unlikely for her to leave like that when she had a 7-year-old son.
Marquez, who is being held on a $1 million bond, was charged with murder and confessed to investigators that Gaytan accompanied him to his place after the concert, but they had an argument, and as a result, she left.
However, the suspect’s phone records revealed that on the morning after Marquez took a shovel from his sister and borrowed his brother’s SUV.
The vehicle was also recorded on surveillance cameras, and the footage showed how Marquez drove to a deserted area and returned an hour later.
Moreover, traces of Gaytan’s blood were found in Marquez’s apartment.
Authorities believe that Marquez killed the woman at his home after an argument. They also think that she was probably buried in a deserted area.
People in the community are baffled and wondering what happened for a date to go so wrong.
