This story contains adult content and language. Listener discretion is advised.

This story contains adult content and language. Listener discretion is advised.

So now they got two women, both shot in the back of the head with forty caliber bullets, and they realize that now they have a serial color on their hands.

So now they got two women, both shot in the back of the head with forty caliber bullets, and they realize that now they have a serial color on their hands.

I'm Kate Winkler Dawson, a nonfiction author and journalism professor in Austin, Texas.

I'm Kate Winkler Dawson, a nonfiction author and journalism professor in Austin, Texas.

I'm also the co.

I'm also the co.

Host of the podcast Buried Bones on Exactly Right, and throughout my career, research for my many audio and book projects has taken me around the world. On Wicked Words, I sit down with the people I've met along the way, amazing writers, journalists, filmmakers, and podcasters who have investigated and reported on notorious true crime cases. This is about the choices writers make, both good and bad, and it's a deep dive into the unpublished details behind their stories. On this week's episode of Wicked Words, we're traveling to the Texas border town of Laredo, when four vulnerable women are murdered. Police suspected that a well respected US Border Patrol agent has turned into a serial killer. Author Rick Jervis tells me the story behind his book The Devil Behind the Badge, The Horrifying twelve Days of the Border Patrol Serial Killer. Where does it make sense for you to start the story.

Host of the podcast Buried Bones on Exactly Right, and throughout my career, research for my many audio and book projects has taken me around the world. On Wicked Words, I sit down with the people I've met along the way, amazing writers, journalists, filmmakers, and podcasters who have investigated and reported on notorious true crime cases. This is about the choices writers make, both good and bad, and it's a deep dive into the unpublished details behind their stories. On this week's episode of Wicked Words, we're traveling to the Texas border town of Laredo, when four vulnerable women are murdered. Police suspected that a well respected US Border Patrol agent has turned into a serial killer. Author Rick Jervis tells me the story behind his book The Devil Behind the Badge, The Horrifying twelve Days of the Border Patrol Serial Killer. Where does it make sense for you to start the story.

Well, it takes place right in Laredo, so we could start there. And also San Bernando Avenue is a major character like in the book also, so we could talk about that as well and give a backdrop.

Well, it takes place right in Laredo, so we could start there. And also San Bernando Avenue is a major character like in the book also, so we could talk about that as well and give a backdrop.

I mean, normally I say, what was Laredo like in blah blah blah, But you know, whatever the year is, but this is so recent. What is Laredo like now? Unless things have dramatically changed since twenty eighteen.

I mean, normally I say, what was Laredo like in blah blah blah, But you know, whatever the year is, but this is so recent. What is Laredo like now? Unless things have dramatically changed since twenty eighteen.

Laredo's a really interesting place. You know, it's right on the order. It has a lot of history. It was founded in seventeen fifty five, first by Spain and then later became part of Mexico, became part of the US in eighteen forty eight, and it always had the sort of reputation of being this kind of rough and tumble outpost right because it was right on the border. So it drew a lot of like bundidos and outlaws trying to sort of run away from the actual law. It had a lot of Apache Indian attacks early in the day. And it's probably most known as as a sort of backdrop of select Larry mcmultrie novels, you know, like Streets of Laredo and so like Lunesome Dove, but more sort of contemporarily. Today, it's a sort of bustling border city. You know, it's home to about two hundred and sixty thousand people. There's something like fifteen thousand trucks crisscrossing. It's like port of entry every day. It's a major overland port, right. It basically ferries some three hundred billion dollars worth of gives every year, about half of all US Mexico trade goes through Laredo. But it's also you know, it also obviously draws drug cartels and human and drug smuggling, and some of that product you know, unfortunately leaks out into the streets of Laredo. Laredo has been kind of struggling with a drug problem there for generations. You know, black tar heroin basically made it appearance in the nineteen seventies and it's like still a problem today. But it's also a very safe town, you know, because you've got like border patrol there, you got DEA operating there, you got Homeland security investigators, so you got all of these sort of law enforcement agents operating there, and like the cartels, no better than to like set up shop and do anything done there, So they tend to bypass with Laredo. So it's it's like a relatively safe city, you know, home to about. It basically has something like ten to twelve homicides a year, so the murder rate is is like relatively low compared to other Texas cities or even across the US.

Laredo's a really interesting place. You know, it's right on the order. It has a lot of history. It was founded in seventeen fifty five, first by Spain and then later became part of Mexico, became part of the US in eighteen forty eight, and it always had the sort of reputation of being this kind of rough and tumble outpost right because it was right on the border. So it drew a lot of like bundidos and outlaws trying to sort of run away from the actual law. It had a lot of Apache Indian attacks early in the day. And it's probably most known as as a sort of backdrop of select Larry mcmultrie novels, you know, like Streets of Laredo and so like Lunesome Dove, but more sort of contemporarily. Today, it's a sort of bustling border city. You know, it's home to about two hundred and sixty thousand people. There's something like fifteen thousand trucks crisscrossing. It's like port of entry every day. It's a major overland port, right. It basically ferries some three hundred billion dollars worth of gives every year, about half of all US Mexico trade goes through Laredo. But it's also you know, it also obviously draws drug cartels and human and drug smuggling, and some of that product you know, unfortunately leaks out into the streets of Laredo. Laredo has been kind of struggling with a drug problem there for generations. You know, black tar heroin basically made it appearance in the nineteen seventies and it's like still a problem today. But it's also a very safe town, you know, because you've got like border patrol there, you got DEA operating there, you got Homeland security investigators, so you got all of these sort of law enforcement agents operating there, and like the cartels, no better than to like set up shop and do anything done there, So they tend to bypass with Laredo. So it's it's like a relatively safe city, you know, home to about. It basically has something like ten to twelve homicides a year, so the murder rate is is like relatively low compared to other Texas cities or even across the US.

Who is the person do you think that is attracted to being a border patrol agent? Why not be a police officer in Laredo or work for DEA? Is there kind of a type of person who would feel passionate about this type of job.

Who is the person do you think that is attracted to being a border patrol agent? Why not be a police officer in Laredo or work for DEA? Is there kind of a type of person who would feel passionate about this type of job.

Border patrol is kind of a coveted position there along the border. First of all, like pays well, it pays, it pays better, significantly better, like in some cases than sheriff's deputies or local police, and so people along the border. I've actually met people who are from Laredo who are actually Border patrol agents who said that they basically came up the ranks. Maybe they were like a police officer for a couple of years, but their goal was always to be border patrol agent. Because they have this long history there. They're the ones who own like the really nice houses down in Laredo, and so it draws a lot of people who are interested in like law enforcement, but are interested in kind of stepping up to the sort of next level financially. It also draws a lot of former like sort of military people, right, because there's a lot of it's a lot of parallels there, right, because you're basically asked to go out and sort of patrol in these kind of remote areas. You're armed, there's a sense of camaraderie with some of the other agents. So more and more throughout the years, really, but recently, you know, you're getting a lot of people coming from conflicts in like Afghanistan and like Iraq who come back to Stateside and are interested in border patrols.

Border patrol is kind of a coveted position there along the border. First of all, like pays well, it pays, it pays better, significantly better, like in some cases than sheriff's deputies or local police, and so people along the border. I've actually met people who are from Laredo who are actually Border patrol agents who said that they basically came up the ranks. Maybe they were like a police officer for a couple of years, but their goal was always to be border patrol agent. Because they have this long history there. They're the ones who own like the really nice houses down in Laredo, and so it draws a lot of people who are interested in like law enforcement, but are interested in kind of stepping up to the sort of next level financially. It also draws a lot of former like sort of military people, right, because there's a lot of it's a lot of parallels there, right, because you're basically asked to go out and sort of patrol in these kind of remote areas. You're armed, there's a sense of camaraderie with some of the other agents. So more and more throughout the years, really, but recently, you know, you're getting a lot of people coming from conflicts in like Afghanistan and like Iraq who come back to Stateside and are interested in border patrols.

Now, I know you said eight to twelve murders a year, which seems very low for a city that size.

Now, I know you said eight to twelve murders a year, which seems very low for a city that size.

Correct.

Correct.

Yeah, tell me how active the sex work trade is in Laredo in twenty eighteen, since that's sort of the community we're focusing on, as well as the folks who work at border patrol.

Yeah, tell me how active the sex work trade is in Laredo in twenty eighteen, since that's sort of the community we're focusing on, as well as the folks who work at border patrol.

Yeah, the sex worker community is pretty active there and it has been for for like a long time. So like Laredo has its history of sex workers working there. I found articles dating back to like the early nineteen hundreds where kind of turned the century, prostitutes were working in these in these like sort of bordellos along some Bonanando Avenue. Since it's always drawn these these these type of crowds of like rum runners and fugitive and lawmen and so like bonitos bordellos brought it up to service a lot of these folks. In twenty eighteen, it was like pretty vibrant. You know, There's there's quite a number of sex workers working along there, and they tend to congregate along this one stretch called some Betanando Avenue, and some Benando Avenue obviously plays like a really big role in my book. It's it's where all these four victims lived and worked and where a lot of the sex workers congregate. But the sex workers that work in Laredo, as far as I could tell, almost to a tea, almost every single one that I met down there were doing it because they also had these really sort of like debilitating sub since abuse disorders. All of them were struggling with drug addictions. Again mostly black tar heroin, but also cracked cocaine and like a number of other different drugs. But it was very vibrant down there. In twenty eighteen.

Yeah, the sex worker community is pretty active there and it has been for for like a long time. So like Laredo has its history of sex workers working there. I found articles dating back to like the early nineteen hundreds where kind of turned the century, prostitutes were working in these in these like sort of bordellos along some Bonanando Avenue. Since it's always drawn these these these type of crowds of like rum runners and fugitive and lawmen and so like bonitos bordellos brought it up to service a lot of these folks. In twenty eighteen, it was like pretty vibrant. You know, There's there's quite a number of sex workers working along there, and they tend to congregate along this one stretch called some Betanando Avenue, and some Benando Avenue obviously plays like a really big role in my book. It's it's where all these four victims lived and worked and where a lot of the sex workers congregate. But the sex workers that work in Laredo, as far as I could tell, almost to a tea, almost every single one that I met down there were doing it because they also had these really sort of like debilitating sub since abuse disorders. All of them were struggling with drug addictions. Again mostly black tar heroin, but also cracked cocaine and like a number of other different drugs. But it was very vibrant down there. In twenty eighteen.

When I started learning about the Long Island serial case Gilgo Beach case, I had not known that with some escorts they will have drivers go with them for safety. Is there any sort of safety with the women we're talking about in this story or is this they're on the street on San Fernando Avenue and people are stopping and picking them up. Is there any level of safety at all with them?

When I started learning about the Long Island serial case Gilgo Beach case, I had not known that with some escorts they will have drivers go with them for safety. Is there any sort of safety with the women we're talking about in this story or is this they're on the street on San Fernando Avenue and people are stopping and picking them up. Is there any level of safety at all with them?

No? That's like a really interesting part that I learned about the sex trade there in downtown Laredo, especially around Sambernando Avenue, is that they don't they don't really have pimps per se, there is no sort of protection. For the most part, sex workers, along asime bet now theo are generally on their own. I did actually meet a couple of folks. It was like a couple of guys who I would describe more as kind of like hangers on, just folks who who like to sort of orbit around the sex trade down there, And they were looked at as kind of like big brothers and like friends to some of these sex workers. They basically helped them out with scheduling or sort of connecting with different clients, and they would do it for you know, just a party with them, or to get a little bit of the heroin from them. Later they call it chiva, so they would do it just for like a hit or two of like chiba later. For the most part, there's a real lack of actual protection for any of these sex workers. They're not generally escorted anywhere, and they're usually on their own.

No? That's like a really interesting part that I learned about the sex trade there in downtown Laredo, especially around Sambernando Avenue, is that they don't they don't really have pimps per se, there is no sort of protection. For the most part, sex workers, along asime bet now theo are generally on their own. I did actually meet a couple of folks. It was like a couple of guys who I would describe more as kind of like hangers on, just folks who who like to sort of orbit around the sex trade down there, And they were looked at as kind of like big brothers and like friends to some of these sex workers. They basically helped them out with scheduling or sort of connecting with different clients, and they would do it for you know, just a party with them, or to get a little bit of the heroin from them. Later they call it chiva, so they would do it just for like a hit or two of like chiba later. For the most part, there's a real lack of actual protection for any of these sex workers. They're not generally escorted anywhere, and they're usually on their own.

Well, tell me now where we go. Do we talk about the victims in a chronological order, or do we talk about the we haven't named him yet, or do you want to just sort of unfold it a little bit like a mystery. It's kind of up to you what your comfort level is.

Well, tell me now where we go. Do we talk about the victims in a chronological order, or do we talk about the we haven't named him yet, or do you want to just sort of unfold it a little bit like a mystery. It's kind of up to you what your comfort level is.

Let's talk about the victims. I think that's actually a good place.

Let's talk about the victims. I think that's actually a good place.

Okay, So victim number one, let's talk about what you know about her and then the circumstances that have her meeting Juan David Ortiz, who is the offender in this case.

Okay, So victim number one, let's talk about what you know about her and then the circumstances that have her meeting Juan David Ortiz, who is the offender in this case.

Melissa Ramidez was the first victim. She was twenty nine years old when she was killed, so she's one of the younger victims. I got to know her family first. Christina Benavidez, so like Melissa's mom, and she lives in a in a place called Rio Bravo, and that's sort of a suburb of like downtown Laredo. It's just a couple of miles outside. It's known as a colonia, which is sort of really kind of like kind of poor suburb of Laredo. And I went out there early on and got to meet Christina, and she she really opened up to me and told me about about like Melissa growing up. She was one of four children and Christina Benavidez was basically raising them like her own. And when I interviewed her, it was about a week after Melissa was found dead, and I was talking to like Christina, she had these dark classes on and she would look down and she told me these stories and like we had to stop kind of repeatedly because she kept crying. She told me about sort of Melissa growing up. She was fiercely sort of protective of her younger brother Sasad, and they were they basically went they went sort of everywhere together. And then somewhere around middle school is when she when sort of Melissa starts to stray, and she starts staying out longer. She's hanging out with friends. Sometimes overnight she begins popping pills, mostly his annex, which she takes, which which she finds from other people, and like develops this addiction to crack cocaine, and shortly after that basically drops out of high school and starts doing sex work to sort of support her habit. One thing Christina didn't tell me because she either didn't know or was in like denial over it, but that I was told by several other people, including Melissa's sister in law, Gracie, who was very close to her, that when she was around middle school age, Melissa was sexually assaulted by an older family member, and Gracie kind of points to that period when everything starts to really fall apart for her. So she's she's having trouble at school. Christina's called in one day because she goes to the school and the school counsil tells her that that so Melissa has been slicing her arms, so she's hurting herself. Also, they take it to a therapist and she's diagnosed with by polarism and sort of prescribes pills. I think it was prozac at that point, and like Christina comes home and like she she actually told me later she was like really surprised because she had no that Melissa was struggling with taking pills and taking medication. And so they take it to a doctor and she actually prescribes more more pills, and she she kind of felt distinctively that that wasn't like the right route for her, but she hopes that the actual pills could get her better. Well, Melissa just gets worse and worse, ends up dropping out of school and joining other sex workers along alongside Better Nando, and just lives from like hotel room to hotel room out there.

Melissa Ramidez was the first victim. She was twenty nine years old when she was killed, so she's one of the younger victims. I got to know her family first. Christina Benavidez, so like Melissa's mom, and she lives in a in a place called Rio Bravo, and that's sort of a suburb of like downtown Laredo. It's just a couple of miles outside. It's known as a colonia, which is sort of really kind of like kind of poor suburb of Laredo. And I went out there early on and got to meet Christina, and she she really opened up to me and told me about about like Melissa growing up. She was one of four children and Christina Benavidez was basically raising them like her own. And when I interviewed her, it was about a week after Melissa was found dead, and I was talking to like Christina, she had these dark classes on and she would look down and she told me these stories and like we had to stop kind of repeatedly because she kept crying. She told me about sort of Melissa growing up. She was fiercely sort of protective of her younger brother Sasad, and they were they basically went they went sort of everywhere together. And then somewhere around middle school is when she when sort of Melissa starts to stray, and she starts staying out longer. She's hanging out with friends. Sometimes overnight she begins popping pills, mostly his annex, which she takes, which which she finds from other people, and like develops this addiction to crack cocaine, and shortly after that basically drops out of high school and starts doing sex work to sort of support her habit. One thing Christina didn't tell me because she either didn't know or was in like denial over it, but that I was told by several other people, including Melissa's sister in law, Gracie, who was very close to her, that when she was around middle school age, Melissa was sexually assaulted by an older family member, and Gracie kind of points to that period when everything starts to really fall apart for her. So she's she's having trouble at school. Christina's called in one day because she goes to the school and the school counsil tells her that that so Melissa has been slicing her arms, so she's hurting herself. Also, they take it to a therapist and she's diagnosed with by polarism and sort of prescribes pills. I think it was prozac at that point, and like Christina comes home and like she she actually told me later she was like really surprised because she had no that Melissa was struggling with taking pills and taking medication. And so they take it to a doctor and she actually prescribes more more pills, and she she kind of felt distinctively that that wasn't like the right route for her, but she hopes that the actual pills could get her better. Well, Melissa just gets worse and worse, ends up dropping out of school and joining other sex workers along alongside Better Nando, and just lives from like hotel room to hotel room out there.

So how do we know that Melissa goes missing and is in trouble as who finds out first the women that she works alongside, or is it a family member who reports her missing or what happens just a.

So how do we know that Melissa goes missing and is in trouble as who finds out first the women that she works alongside, or is it a family member who reports her missing or what happens just a.

Couple of days before she's she's actually found dead. Christina Benavidez, Melissa's mom, gets in the car with Melissa's two young children, who Christina has has actual custody of, and drives along time Better Now they're looking for her, like she's actually looking for her. She really wants to go to the movies with her. I think it was Labor Day. She's actually driving around trying to find like sort of Melissa to have this day at the movies with Melissa's children. Drives around and cannot find her and this and so and so she like starts to worry. Christina told me she was always worrying, Like she was constantly worrying because Melissa would would go missing and just be out of pocket for days, sometimes weeks, and so it basically was always troubling to her when she would just go kind of like radio silence. So this was another instance of so like Melissa not being found. And so one of the people she was living with at the time, Emily but Ela, who Melissa was was sort of roommates with at the time, had a big fight with her like the night before, doesn't doesn't actually hear from her the following day or the following day after that, and so she starts to get worried. Melissa's body is actually found in this in this rural stretch of Webb County, like northwest of Laredo's by a passerby who calls it in. Calls in the actual Webb County sheriff's office who actually goes out there and starts the investigation. And that's what Melissa's bodies found. She had been shot several times at like close range behind the head. But that's all they got, Like, all they have is sort of Melissa's body and a couple of forty caliber casings nearby.

Couple of days before she's she's actually found dead. Christina Benavidez, Melissa's mom, gets in the car with Melissa's two young children, who Christina has has actual custody of, and drives along time Better Now they're looking for her, like she's actually looking for her. She really wants to go to the movies with her. I think it was Labor Day. She's actually driving around trying to find like sort of Melissa to have this day at the movies with Melissa's children. Drives around and cannot find her and this and so and so she like starts to worry. Christina told me she was always worrying, Like she was constantly worrying because Melissa would would go missing and just be out of pocket for days, sometimes weeks, and so it basically was always troubling to her when she would just go kind of like radio silence. So this was another instance of so like Melissa not being found. And so one of the people she was living with at the time, Emily but Ela, who Melissa was was sort of roommates with at the time, had a big fight with her like the night before, doesn't doesn't actually hear from her the following day or the following day after that, and so she starts to get worried. Melissa's body is actually found in this in this rural stretch of Webb County, like northwest of Laredo's by a passerby who calls it in. Calls in the actual Webb County sheriff's office who actually goes out there and starts the investigation. And that's what Melissa's bodies found. She had been shot several times at like close range behind the head. But that's all they got, Like, all they have is sort of Melissa's body and a couple of forty caliber casings nearby.

Did they do a rape kit and all of that, Were there signs of a sexual assault?

Did they do a rape kit and all of that, Were there signs of a sexual assault?

There was not. That's something which the sort of medical examiner looked at closely and basically determined that there wasn't any of that. And so they were just going on the sort of premise that she was taken out there and shot twice in the head. The thing about Melissa too, she was also known as kind of a hot head, like she had hot temper where she basically displayed sometimes two friends like she was known to get into fistfights with friends over the smallest things, sometimes with just people on the street and other times with clients also. So the initial assumption, at least among some of her friends and fellow sex workers was that she she basically had a falling out with a client. They got into a verbal spat and things went sideways, and that's why she was shot and killed. So that was a sort of wide spread assumption among some of her friends. But the sheriff's office launches a investigation into it, and as is protocol sometimes down there, with high profile cases or even most sort of murder cases, the web County Sheriff's office will call in somebody from the Texas Rangers to basically assist them. And the Texas Rangers they have more resources, they have more money, and they tend to be especially trained for things like murder and cartail violence. So the lead investigator to the Webbs County Sheriff's office, this person by the name of Captain, got their own, got their own, calls in EJ. Salinas, who is the main Texas Ranger for that region, and together cut it on and Selena's launched this this sort of investigation into who this person is and why she was killed.

There was not. That's something which the sort of medical examiner looked at closely and basically determined that there wasn't any of that. And so they were just going on the sort of premise that she was taken out there and shot twice in the head. The thing about Melissa too, she was also known as kind of a hot head, like she had hot temper where she basically displayed sometimes two friends like she was known to get into fistfights with friends over the smallest things, sometimes with just people on the street and other times with clients also. So the initial assumption, at least among some of her friends and fellow sex workers was that she she basically had a falling out with a client. They got into a verbal spat and things went sideways, and that's why she was shot and killed. So that was a sort of wide spread assumption among some of her friends. But the sheriff's office launches a investigation into it, and as is protocol sometimes down there, with high profile cases or even most sort of murder cases, the web County Sheriff's office will call in somebody from the Texas Rangers to basically assist them. And the Texas Rangers they have more resources, they have more money, and they tend to be especially trained for things like murder and cartail violence. So the lead investigator to the Webbs County Sheriff's office, this person by the name of Captain, got their own, got their own, calls in EJ. Salinas, who is the main Texas Ranger for that region, and together cut it on and Selena's launched this this sort of investigation into who this person is and why she was killed.

So they're taking it seriously, which surprises me considering, you know, we're talking awful lot about police officers not being particularly interested in the murders of sex workers, but it sounds like that wasn't the case here, So that's good. They're taking the case seriously, and of course no one's picked up on this yet that this will become the work of a serial killer.

So they're taking it seriously, which surprises me considering, you know, we're talking awful lot about police officers not being particularly interested in the murders of sex workers, but it sounds like that wasn't the case here, So that's good. They're taking the case seriously, and of course no one's picked up on this yet that this will become the work of a serial killer.

I was sort of interested in that too, Like I I was interested in how serious they actually took it early on, and from everything that I found, like they did take it, you know, extremely serious as soon as it happened. There aren't a ton of murders in Laredo, so this one would seems so so brutal, you know, the sort of close range shots like in the head kind of execution style, really like prompting them to take it serious right away. And so they actually launched this pretty intense of investigation into it right away. Obviously, like they don't know that this is the work of a serial killer who is planning on killing again, but they like take it as serious as possible. They branch out through the Samberternando corridor talking to folks. They basically find out soon after who this person is. They're able to actually identify her through fingerprints and other methods, and they like learn early on that she's a sex worker working along some better Nando avenue. They basically begin to spread out throughout this corridor, talking to other sex workers, talking to people who may have known her, people who have seen them who have seen her last, trying to figure out what exactly happened to her.

I was sort of interested in that too, Like I I was interested in how serious they actually took it early on, and from everything that I found, like they did take it, you know, extremely serious as soon as it happened. There aren't a ton of murders in Laredo, so this one would seems so so brutal, you know, the sort of close range shots like in the head kind of execution style, really like prompting them to take it serious right away. And so they actually launched this pretty intense of investigation into it right away. Obviously, like they don't know that this is the work of a serial killer who is planning on killing again, but they like take it as serious as possible. They branch out through the Samberternando corridor talking to folks. They basically find out soon after who this person is. They're able to actually identify her through fingerprints and other methods, and they like learn early on that she's a sex worker working along some better Nando avenue. They basically begin to spread out throughout this corridor, talking to other sex workers, talking to people who may have known her, people who have seen them who have seen her last, trying to figure out what exactly happened to her.

And I think he's say in the book that they end up reaching out eventually to the next three victims because they're all sex workers.

And I think he's say in the book that they end up reaching out eventually to the next three victims because they're all sex workers.

Is that right?

Is that right?

Yeah? Early on, Clauding loydra is one of the top people which they're interested in talking to. Clauding Loida was really close with so like Melissa, they were known to sort of hang out in the same sort of motels along Samberanando Avenue. They were known to even share clients now and then Claudine Lola was older. She's she's forty two, so she's kind of looked at as a sort of older, wiser sex worker out there. Melissa is kind of the younger, like hot headed worker, and so Claudine kind of like takes her under her her wing, and they were they were actually pretty tight. So investigative zero in and like Claudie Louila right away.

Yeah? Early on, Clauding loydra is one of the top people which they're interested in talking to. Clauding Loida was really close with so like Melissa, they were known to sort of hang out in the same sort of motels along Samberanando Avenue. They were known to even share clients now and then Claudine Lola was older. She's she's forty two, so she's kind of looked at as a sort of older, wiser sex worker out there. Melissa is kind of the younger, like hot headed worker, and so Claudine kind of like takes her under her her wing, and they were they were actually pretty tight. So investigative zero in and like Claudie Louila right away.

So they talked to Claudine.

So they talked to Claudine.

What does she say that you know, does she give any insight on clients or any theories about what happened?

What does she say that you know, does she give any insight on clients or any theories about what happened?

So they don't talk to actual Claudine. She's on their their list of like people of interest, and they're actively looking for her. They're they're they're like trying to locate her. So you can imagine it's not the easiest thing to like sort of locate somebody in this world because lots of time, like they may not even have a smell phone. They're very transient. They're bouncing around from my people's couch to hotel rooms to somewhere else, and so they're like actively trying to look at her. Claudine is one of like four or five names that Captain Cardan has on his list of people of interest, and they're actively trying to find Claudine when Claudine also ends up as a victim.

So they don't talk to actual Claudine. She's on their their list of like people of interest, and they're actively looking for her. They're they're they're like trying to locate her. So you can imagine it's not the easiest thing to like sort of locate somebody in this world because lots of time, like they may not even have a smell phone. They're very transient. They're bouncing around from my people's couch to hotel rooms to somewhere else, and so they're like actively trying to look at her. Claudine is one of like four or five names that Captain Cardan has on his list of people of interest, and they're actively trying to find Claudine when Claudine also ends up as a victim.

Similar circumstances, gunshot, similar location.

Similar circumstances, gunshot, similar location.

Claudine Leuta's body is actually found just a couple of miles from where Melissa's Body's found, also this sort of rural stretch of northwest Webb County. Similarly, she's found like on the side of the highway with a gunshot wound to the back of the head. But what was different about Claudine is that she was still alive somehow kind of miraculously. So she was shot once in the back of the head and she managed to crawl and drag herself to the shoulder of the actual highway where she could be better found, and sure enough, the truck driver passes by, sees her stops and she's actually still alive, like she's incoherent, like she's asking for water, saying she's like really thirsty, and she's mumbling stuff. The truck driver calls nine one one, and this ambulance comes out as well as deputies come out, and then ambulance comes up, scoops her on and raises her to the actual nearest hospital, and she's still alive all the way to the hospital. I actually interviewed the paramedic who took her, and she said Clouding was actually being kind of combative, which is which is somewhat natural, he said, for like these types of victims, he sees it a lot, like they're really confused and disoriented. And she was swinging in her arms to the point that they had to like hold her down and basically strap her down. And he's telling her, you know, just to take it easy, that somebody's going to take care of her, and they're still operating, like under the assumption he assumed that she got hit by a car and left them like he didn't know that this was a gunshot until they take her to the hospital. They wheel her into the hospital and the doctor comes out maybe twenty thirty minutes later saying that Claudine passed away, that she actually died, and that it wasn't a auto accident. That they found a bullets lug in the back of her head. So now this information is basically relayed to Captain Goddown and E. J. Salinas, the Texas ranger, who are at the scene looking at the crime scene, and they noticed that there's a couple of casings there also forty caliber, just just like the first incident. And so now they got two women, both of them sex workers, both of them shot in the back of the head with forty caliber bullets. And they realized that now they have a serial killer on their hands.

Claudine Leuta's body is actually found just a couple of miles from where Melissa's Body's found, also this sort of rural stretch of northwest Webb County. Similarly, she's found like on the side of the highway with a gunshot wound to the back of the head. But what was different about Claudine is that she was still alive somehow kind of miraculously. So she was shot once in the back of the head and she managed to crawl and drag herself to the shoulder of the actual highway where she could be better found, and sure enough, the truck driver passes by, sees her stops and she's actually still alive, like she's incoherent, like she's asking for water, saying she's like really thirsty, and she's mumbling stuff. The truck driver calls nine one one, and this ambulance comes out as well as deputies come out, and then ambulance comes up, scoops her on and raises her to the actual nearest hospital, and she's still alive all the way to the hospital. I actually interviewed the paramedic who took her, and she said Clouding was actually being kind of combative, which is which is somewhat natural, he said, for like these types of victims, he sees it a lot, like they're really confused and disoriented. And she was swinging in her arms to the point that they had to like hold her down and basically strap her down. And he's telling her, you know, just to take it easy, that somebody's going to take care of her, and they're still operating, like under the assumption he assumed that she got hit by a car and left them like he didn't know that this was a gunshot until they take her to the hospital. They wheel her into the hospital and the doctor comes out maybe twenty thirty minutes later saying that Claudine passed away, that she actually died, and that it wasn't a auto accident. That they found a bullets lug in the back of her head. So now this information is basically relayed to Captain Goddown and E. J. Salinas, the Texas ranger, who are at the scene looking at the crime scene, and they noticed that there's a couple of casings there also forty caliber, just just like the first incident. And so now they got two women, both of them sex workers, both of them shot in the back of the head with forty caliber bullets. And they realized that now they have a serial killer on their hands.

And not just two sex workers. Two sex workers who were intimate friends. I mean, they knew each other very well. I don't know how big the industry is in Laredo at the time, but you know, these are friends who knew each other really well, and I'm sure they took that into consideration absolutely.

And not just two sex workers. Two sex workers who were intimate friends. I mean, they knew each other very well. I don't know how big the industry is in Laredo at the time, but you know, these are friends who knew each other really well, and I'm sure they took that into consideration absolutely.

And it's not only that, like they knew each other well, but that that, like investigators were actively trying to find Claudine, they also found that very very interesting that that this is somebody that they were trying to find to interview about about sort of Melissa's death, and now she also ends up dead.

And it's not only that, like they knew each other well, but that that, like investigators were actively trying to find Claudine, they also found that very very interesting that that this is somebody that they were trying to find to interview about about sort of Melissa's death, and now she also ends up dead.

When Claudine is waving her arms and you know, being combative in the ambulance, is she saying anything that can be at all useful to the Texas Rangers or the sheriff.

When Claudine is waving her arms and you know, being combative in the ambulance, is she saying anything that can be at all useful to the Texas Rangers or the sheriff.

So that's what the Sheriff's office asked this paramedic later ray He basically could understand what she was saying. She was muttering something, but it didn't make any sense to him. So nothing came out of what she said in those in like those final moments. Unfortunately, you don't know.

So that's what the Sheriff's office asked this paramedic later ray He basically could understand what she was saying. She was muttering something, but it didn't make any sense to him. So nothing came out of what she said in those in like those final moments. Unfortunately, you don't know.

I was thinking when you were talking about the scene, and you know, she's dragging herself to the shoulder and trying to get attention, and she's bleeding and exhausted and thirsty, and I was thinking, September, I mean, in Texas is awful. It's sometimes the hottest, it can be hotter than August. It must have been just her will to live must have been incredible to be able to do that in the desert.

I was thinking when you were talking about the scene, and you know, she's dragging herself to the shoulder and trying to get attention, and she's bleeding and exhausted and thirsty, and I was thinking, September, I mean, in Texas is awful. It's sometimes the hottest, it can be hotter than August. It must have been just her will to live must have been incredible to be able to do that in the desert.

I mean, gosh, how horrific for.

I mean, gosh, how horrific for.

Her, especially on the border. You know, the border gets really hot. It's like a solid ten fifteen degrees hotter than what you feel in Austin or Dallas or Houston. And so yeah, it was like really hot at the time, and her will to live and how she fought it all the way to the end was just remarkable. You know, she gets shot in the back of the head and just manages to kind of hang around until somebody picks her up. The actual paramedic thought she actually had a chance because he basically stopped the bleeding and brought it to the hospital, but unfortunately she just expired soon after that.

Her, especially on the border. You know, the border gets really hot. It's like a solid ten fifteen degrees hotter than what you feel in Austin or Dallas or Houston. And so yeah, it was like really hot at the time, and her will to live and how she fought it all the way to the end was just remarkable. You know, she gets shot in the back of the head and just manages to kind of hang around until somebody picks her up. The actual paramedic thought she actually had a chance because he basically stopped the bleeding and brought it to the hospital, but unfortunately she just expired soon after that.

Do they find that both Melissa and Claudeen have heroin or some sort of drug in their system at the time.

Do they find that both Melissa and Claudeen have heroin or some sort of drug in their system at the time.

Yeah, the medical examiner finds out out later Melissa had crack cocaine in her system and Claudine had had pretty large amounts of opiate's mostly heroin in her system. Claudine had a very sort of debilitating heroin addiction. It really really was really strong with her and kept her on the streets for like a long time.

Yeah, the medical examiner finds out out later Melissa had crack cocaine in her system and Claudine had had pretty large amounts of opiate's mostly heroin in her system. Claudine had a very sort of debilitating heroin addiction. It really really was really strong with her and kept her on the streets for like a long time.

Are their friends in industry. Are they able to say who they thought they were last with? They have clients? I mean, how did they even begin investigating who the last person was with these two women?

Are their friends in industry. Are they able to say who they thought they were last with? They have clients? I mean, how did they even begin investigating who the last person was with these two women?

They had some fairly good leads. Melissa, like I said earlier, was with Emily Varella last. And she's also pretty interesting. She's a transgender woman who lived and worked on San Bernardo. She was friends with like so like Melissa for you years, for like a long time. They met in high school and like stayed friends over the years. Emily and Melissa were sharing a room at the Pan American Courts Motel right on San Bernando, and so and so sheriff's deputies and captain got that own quickly roll up to like Emily and question her and like interview her. Emily tells them everything she knew, which is that they were there like the night before. She was kind of upset with with sort of like Melissa because she she wasn't like sort of earning her keep and she was really messy. Emily was on sort of probation because she had been arrested earlier, and I kind of needed to stay clean and sort of Melissa was violating a lot of that she was smoking crack in the actual room and stuff that could really get sort of Emily like in trouble. And so Emily was kind of upset with her and had give her like a ton lashing like the night before and felt obviously really bad about that later, but that's all she knew that like the last time she had seen her was when Melissa walked out of their sort of motel room at like around like midnight the day before she was found. Nobody had actually seen her after that. And Claudine also had a couple of people which investigators thought were really close to her, including like an ex boyfriend of hers called Chong Cho N And Chong was this person of interests early on. There's this really interesting scene in my book where sheriff's deputies go to Cholnes's house like to try to talk to him about about some like Claudine's murder. Chong has a long rap sheet he's been he's been in out of jail. Also, he also has a very sort of debilitating substance abuse disorder. There's a swarm of deputies waiting for him at like Chones Choln's house, and Joan rows up in his car. He has a Cadillac. He rows up, he sees all of these deputies swarming outside of his house, panics, guns it, and like speeds off basically, and so like all the deputies hop in their car and speed off after him. John manages to sort of elude them, like he just he goes through a bunch of downtown streets and like gets away, but then calls calls like a contact that he has, like at the Laredo Police and saying, Hey, why are all these cops at my house? Like he has no idea, what's what's actually going on? I think he had heard at that point that Ladine was like killed, but he had but he had nothing to do with him. So he panics and like takes off. He ends up coming in and having an interview with Captain Gaddon and EJ. Sealinas and they like go over everything, which he knows he had seen her, I think a couple of days before, but not the day before, and says he has like he has no idea who may have killed him. Police kind of check out his story. He's not completely crossed off the list, but they also feel kind of strongly that that like it wasn't.

They had some fairly good leads. Melissa, like I said earlier, was with Emily Varella last. And she's also pretty interesting. She's a transgender woman who lived and worked on San Bernardo. She was friends with like so like Melissa for you years, for like a long time. They met in high school and like stayed friends over the years. Emily and Melissa were sharing a room at the Pan American Courts Motel right on San Bernando, and so and so sheriff's deputies and captain got that own quickly roll up to like Emily and question her and like interview her. Emily tells them everything she knew, which is that they were there like the night before. She was kind of upset with with sort of like Melissa because she she wasn't like sort of earning her keep and she was really messy. Emily was on sort of probation because she had been arrested earlier, and I kind of needed to stay clean and sort of Melissa was violating a lot of that she was smoking crack in the actual room and stuff that could really get sort of Emily like in trouble. And so Emily was kind of upset with her and had give her like a ton lashing like the night before and felt obviously really bad about that later, but that's all she knew that like the last time she had seen her was when Melissa walked out of their sort of motel room at like around like midnight the day before she was found. Nobody had actually seen her after that. And Claudine also had a couple of people which investigators thought were really close to her, including like an ex boyfriend of hers called Chong Cho N And Chong was this person of interests early on. There's this really interesting scene in my book where sheriff's deputies go to Cholnes's house like to try to talk to him about about some like Claudine's murder. Chong has a long rap sheet he's been he's been in out of jail. Also, he also has a very sort of debilitating substance abuse disorder. There's a swarm of deputies waiting for him at like Chones Choln's house, and Joan rows up in his car. He has a Cadillac. He rows up, he sees all of these deputies swarming outside of his house, panics, guns it, and like speeds off basically, and so like all the deputies hop in their car and speed off after him. John manages to sort of elude them, like he just he goes through a bunch of downtown streets and like gets away, but then calls calls like a contact that he has, like at the Laredo Police and saying, Hey, why are all these cops at my house? Like he has no idea, what's what's actually going on? I think he had heard at that point that Ladine was like killed, but he had but he had nothing to do with him. So he panics and like takes off. He ends up coming in and having an interview with Captain Gaddon and EJ. Sealinas and they like go over everything, which he knows he had seen her, I think a couple of days before, but not the day before, and says he has like he has no idea who may have killed him. Police kind of check out his story. He's not completely crossed off the list, but they also feel kind of strongly that that like it wasn't.

Him, tell me about the third victim, because now we have to Texas Rangers in the Sheriff's department saying it sounds like we've got the same person murdering these two different women. Is Gizelda friends with both Claudine and Melissa.

Him, tell me about the third victim, because now we have to Texas Rangers in the Sheriff's department saying it sounds like we've got the same person murdering these two different women. Is Gizelda friends with both Claudine and Melissa.

She is, she said, this nickname is like Chilli, and she is also part of this sex worker sort of community. They've been friends for like a long time. He said. That is thirty five at the time, so she had been out there for almost two decades. Also has an extremely hardcore heroin addiction, which she operates in the sex trade just to just to sort of feed that. And she had a really rough sort of upbringing, you know. Chlly is from a really kind of rough and tumble part of Laredo. She was two years old when her mother is murdered by like an ex boyfriend. The mother was like a single mother raising her and her older brother, Joey, And so Joey and Kelly go to live with a grandmother and that's the one who basically raises them. But they're it's still out to oversight and they're basically on the streets a lot, and so they kind of succumb to some of the vices of the actual street. Joey joins a gang, ends up getting into trouble and goes away to prison for twenty two years. Chilly gets into drug habits and basically develops a really bad heroin addiction and that's what gets her on the streets.

She is, she said, this nickname is like Chilli, and she is also part of this sex worker sort of community. They've been friends for like a long time. He said. That is thirty five at the time, so she had been out there for almost two decades. Also has an extremely hardcore heroin addiction, which she operates in the sex trade just to just to sort of feed that. And she had a really rough sort of upbringing, you know. Chlly is from a really kind of rough and tumble part of Laredo. She was two years old when her mother is murdered by like an ex boyfriend. The mother was like a single mother raising her and her older brother, Joey, And so Joey and Kelly go to live with a grandmother and that's the one who basically raises them. But they're it's still out to oversight and they're basically on the streets a lot, and so they kind of succumb to some of the vices of the actual street. Joey joins a gang, ends up getting into trouble and goes away to prison for twenty two years. Chilly gets into drug habits and basically develops a really bad heroin addiction and that's what gets her on the streets.

Also, how long after they discover Claudeine do they then discover Chilly.

Also, how long after they discover Claudeine do they then discover Chilly.

So it's about a day and a half. But something really pivotal happens in between that, And that's the case of Ericapana and Erica Penna is also a sex worker. She's also on the streets, and she's kind of a repeat client, but she's the one who actually escapes and alerts alerts police that she may know the actual identity of this serial killer.

So it's about a day and a half. But something really pivotal happens in between that, And that's the case of Ericapana and Erica Penna is also a sex worker. She's also on the streets, and she's kind of a repeat client, but she's the one who actually escapes and alerts alerts police that she may know the actual identity of this serial killer.

This happens after Claudeine, but before Chilly.

This happens after Claudeine, but before Chilly.

Is it right?

Is it right?

That is correct? Yep?

That is correct? Yep?

So he is he aware that this could turn on him pretty quickly, and yet he then still decides to pursue another victim.

So he is he aware that this could turn on him pretty quickly, and yet he then still decides to pursue another victim.

Yeah, it's this really interesting thing like he up until this point it was more or less calculated, like he would target his victim, drive him off so really sort of remote places, and then go back to work as if nothing was happening right, and he was leading this double life. Once Erica Panna basically escaped from him and starts to alert police about this is the person who probably killed some of my friends and he's aware of that he or he basically assumes that. Once he assumes that, like the actual police are after him, it kind of becomes this almost like suicidal spasm of violence towards the end, and his whole goal is just to pick up as many sex workers as possible, shoot him, kill him before police actually catch up with him.

Yeah, it's this really interesting thing like he up until this point it was more or less calculated, like he would target his victim, drive him off so really sort of remote places, and then go back to work as if nothing was happening right, and he was leading this double life. Once Erica Panna basically escaped from him and starts to alert police about this is the person who probably killed some of my friends and he's aware of that he or he basically assumes that. Once he assumes that, like the actual police are after him, it kind of becomes this almost like suicidal spasm of violence towards the end, and his whole goal is just to pick up as many sex workers as possible, shoot him, kill him before police actually catch up with him.

Well, I guess we need to talk about him.

Well, I guess we need to talk about him.

So who does Erica and encounter the night where she clearly saves her own life and escapes set up that scenario because now we have somebody who can actually explain what happens to these women.

So who does Erica and encounter the night where she clearly saves her own life and escapes set up that scenario because now we have somebody who can actually explain what happens to these women.

So his name is Juan David Ortiz, thirty five, like at the time of the murders, he's a ten year veteran of the US Vota Patrol. He's married with three young young kids, and he's from Texas. You know, I grew up like in Brownsville, Texas, raised by a single mom. And for those who aren't really familiar with Brownsville, that's the southern like it's literally like the southern most point of Texas that's right on the border across the river from Mantalmodos, Texas. David Ortiz grows up in Brownsville with a single mom. He has three other sisters, all of them younger, so he's the older. He's raised liked about evangelical Pentecostal Christian, so he's very sort of religion focused. Even in sort of high school, he basically leads like the Bible study group. He's constantly leading Bible study is like at home, he's on the swim team, and by all accounts, he's a really focused, like kind of ambitious student who knows who knows like what he wants to do once he graduates, and that is to join the actual military, which he does as soon as he actually graduates. Just a couple of months after graduating. He basically joins the Navy in two thousand and one. He's eighteen years old, and this is two months before like the terrorist attacks for like ninety eleven. So he's a Navy corman, which is like a medic, and he's attached to like a marine unit that is deployed out to Iraq. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, and he's a Corman, so he is it's basically like on the front lines, helping helping people who get injured and get and get hurt out there. And his unit starts in Basra to the south and goes all the way up Iraq and ends up in Baghdad, and they spent some time in Baghdad. I talked to a couple of his sort of military buddies out there who all say, you know, sort of comparatively like they didn't see all that much action as some of the other marine units out there, but they did see their fair share of like really gruesome stuff, especially around Baghdad and Baghdad things got We're just really chaotic and a lot of bodies, a lot of dead people around, and they sort of participate in like a lot of that. He comes back to the US and he has really high sort of accolades from his time in the military, and in two thousand and nine joins Border Patrol again. You know, this is a really coveted position. He has an offer to join the San Antonio Police Department or the Sheriff's office there, and he turns them down to join Border Patrol, which is seen as a much more coveted position, better pay, and he joined in two thousand and nine. He's based first in Katy, which is halfway between San Antonio and like downtown Laredo, and then later is transferred to Laredo. In twenty seventeen. One of the things which's up which he does like in Laredo, is that he's basically assigned to join this unit called the Targeted Enforcement Unit. And this is sort of like highly trained, specialized unit that does things like raids stash houses and goes out and like goes after cartel operatives. And this is an important time for him because as part of the Targeted Enforcement Unit, he is focusing and trying to break up a lot of this sort of this sort of like listed activity happening around the San Bernando Corridor. So it's his introduction to this corridor and all the different activities happening there. So he kind of repeatedly raids some of the drug houses, he starts to know who, like who the sex workers are working on there, and so in twenty eighteen, like at the beginning of twenty eight team, he's basically promoted to supervisory agent and is assigned to the Joint Intel Center, which I mentioned earlier, which is a center right there at the Vorder Patrol headquarters in central Laredo where Vorder Patrol shares information with the Sheriff's office and the DEA and DPS troopers and they're all sharing information going after some of the biggest, most sensitive cases there along the border.

So his name is Juan David Ortiz, thirty five, like at the time of the murders, he's a ten year veteran of the US Vota Patrol. He's married with three young young kids, and he's from Texas. You know, I grew up like in Brownsville, Texas, raised by a single mom. And for those who aren't really familiar with Brownsville, that's the southern like it's literally like the southern most point of Texas that's right on the border across the river from Mantalmodos, Texas. David Ortiz grows up in Brownsville with a single mom. He has three other sisters, all of them younger, so he's the older. He's raised liked about evangelical Pentecostal Christian, so he's very sort of religion focused. Even in sort of high school, he basically leads like the Bible study group. He's constantly leading Bible study is like at home, he's on the swim team, and by all accounts, he's a really focused, like kind of ambitious student who knows who knows like what he wants to do once he graduates, and that is to join the actual military, which he does as soon as he actually graduates. Just a couple of months after graduating. He basically joins the Navy in two thousand and one. He's eighteen years old, and this is two months before like the terrorist attacks for like ninety eleven. So he's a Navy corman, which is like a medic, and he's attached to like a marine unit that is deployed out to Iraq. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, and he's a Corman, so he is it's basically like on the front lines, helping helping people who get injured and get and get hurt out there. And his unit starts in Basra to the south and goes all the way up Iraq and ends up in Baghdad, and they spent some time in Baghdad. I talked to a couple of his sort of military buddies out there who all say, you know, sort of comparatively like they didn't see all that much action as some of the other marine units out there, but they did see their fair share of like really gruesome stuff, especially around Baghdad and Baghdad things got We're just really chaotic and a lot of bodies, a lot of dead people around, and they sort of participate in like a lot of that. He comes back to the US and he has really high sort of accolades from his time in the military, and in two thousand and nine joins Border Patrol again. You know, this is a really coveted position. He has an offer to join the San Antonio Police Department or the Sheriff's office there, and he turns them down to join Border Patrol, which is seen as a much more coveted position, better pay, and he joined in two thousand and nine. He's based first in Katy, which is halfway between San Antonio and like downtown Laredo, and then later is transferred to Laredo. In twenty seventeen. One of the things which's up which he does like in Laredo, is that he's basically assigned to join this unit called the Targeted Enforcement Unit. And this is sort of like highly trained, specialized unit that does things like raids stash houses and goes out and like goes after cartel operatives. And this is an important time for him because as part of the Targeted Enforcement Unit, he is focusing and trying to break up a lot of this sort of this sort of like listed activity happening around the San Bernando Corridor. So it's his introduction to this corridor and all the different activities happening there. So he kind of repeatedly raids some of the drug houses, he starts to know who, like who the sex workers are working on there, and so in twenty eighteen, like at the beginning of twenty eight team, he's basically promoted to supervisory agent and is assigned to the Joint Intel Center, which I mentioned earlier, which is a center right there at the Vorder Patrol headquarters in central Laredo where Vorder Patrol shares information with the Sheriff's office and the DEA and DPS troopers and they're all sharing information going after some of the biggest, most sensitive cases there along the border.

No red flax from Ortis at all, No disciplinary action nowhere anywhere, not even a speeding ticket with this guy.

No red flax from Ortis at all, No disciplinary action nowhere anywhere, not even a speeding ticket with this guy.

Nothing, And that's something that I really dug into trying to figure out and trying to find out. Unfortunately, Customers and Vorder Protection, which is the agency that oversees Vorder Patrol, they weren't really cooperative with me and basically declined to give any interviews for this book, much less share any records or anything about RTS. I did actually manage to get some of his personnel records through other sources. Everything in his record was pretty scotch cleaning. There was nothing like there were no former red flags. The only thing in he had a minor incident back in Cotula with one of the migrants, which he picked up that the migrant claimed that David Ortiz took a cigarette away from him, and that was the only only thing that I came up in his whole file.

Nothing, And that's something that I really dug into trying to figure out and trying to find out. Unfortunately, Customers and Vorder Protection, which is the agency that oversees Vorder Patrol, they weren't really cooperative with me and basically declined to give any interviews for this book, much less share any records or anything about RTS. I did actually manage to get some of his personnel records through other sources. Everything in his record was pretty scotch cleaning. There was nothing like there were no former red flags. The only thing in he had a minor incident back in Cotula with one of the migrants, which he picked up that the migrant claimed that David Ortiz took a cigarette away from him, and that was the only only thing that I came up in his whole file.

What does eric Opinia say happened with Juan David Ortiz?

What does eric Opinia say happened with Juan David Ortiz?

How did they even meet?

How did they even meet?

So eric Openna is working along San Bernando Avenue, just just like some of these other women, and she meets him just the same way that he meets others. So starting around twenty eighteen, early twenty eighteen one, David Ortiz starts to start the cruise down outside Banado, and this time he's like not working, he's he's actively engaging with some of these sex workers and actually picking them up. Eric Opena meets him right around then, early early twenty eighteen. David Ortiz picks her up and they like drive off and they kind of hit it off, like he first of all. Erica Panna says later that he's kind of an ideal client, that he has money, he pays cash on time, he pays up right away, and she actually knows early on that he's involved with border patrol. He doesn't make a secret out of it, and that's an ideal client because she knows that he doesn't want to get caught with this that like it could be embarrassing so he's like discreet, he has money, and he becomes like a reliable client for her. So he picks her up repeatedly half a dozen times or so over the course of twenty eighteen, including taking her back to his house on different occasions. His wife, His wife, Daniella, has family both in San Antonio and don in Brownsville, and she would take the kids like visit family, and Juan David Ortiz will like take advantage of those times and take Erica, Panna and other women back to his empty house. So they really get to know each other. They create this sort of rapport between each other. And so she gets picked up on that day, September fourteenth, twenty eighteen, after he has killed like sort of Melissa, after he's killed Claudine, and he picks up eric Opania as just another night in the town.

So eric Openna is working along San Bernando Avenue, just just like some of these other women, and she meets him just the same way that he meets others. So starting around twenty eighteen, early twenty eighteen one, David Ortiz starts to start the cruise down outside Banado, and this time he's like not working, he's he's actively engaging with some of these sex workers and actually picking them up. Eric Opena meets him right around then, early early twenty eighteen. David Ortiz picks her up and they like drive off and they kind of hit it off, like he first of all. Erica Panna says later that he's kind of an ideal client, that he has money, he pays cash on time, he pays up right away, and she actually knows early on that he's involved with border patrol. He doesn't make a secret out of it, and that's an ideal client because she knows that he doesn't want to get caught with this that like it could be embarrassing so he's like discreet, he has money, and he becomes like a reliable client for her. So he picks her up repeatedly half a dozen times or so over the course of twenty eighteen, including taking her back to his house on different occasions. His wife, His wife, Daniella, has family both in San Antonio and don in Brownsville, and she would take the kids like visit family, and Juan David Ortiz will like take advantage of those times and take Erica, Panna and other women back to his empty house. So they really get to know each other. They create this sort of rapport between each other. And so she gets picked up on that day, September fourteenth, twenty eighteen, after he has killed like sort of Melissa, after he's killed Claudine, and he picks up eric Opania as just another night in the town.

So what does she say changed, what made this night different than the nights she was already used to spending with Ortiz.

So what does she say changed, what made this night different than the nights she was already used to spending with Ortiz.

Yeah, so she says later that she gets in the car and starts talking about the same topic that everybody alongside Bernado is talking about at that point, which is the actual murders of Claudine and Melissa and she like brings that up, and he kind of plays it off like, oh, yeah, you know, I think I heard about that, but I'm not like really following it, and they talk about it. It kind of comes up and goes. She does what she usually does, which is like shoots up heroin, and then he takes her back to his house. His wife again is visiting family up in San Antonio, so so like the house is empty, so he takes her back to his house and then Erica claims that as they're sitting down like in their living room, something comes over him and that she noticeably sees something change in his face and his and in his sort of demeanor, and he starts telling her that he's really worried that the police might think that he has something to do with Melissa's death because he had been with her a couple of days before she was found, and that they might find his his sort of DNA on her. But that's something drastically changes, like in his sort of demeanor, that his mood just kind of darkens to the point that she gets this this sort of revelation that's that something is like really wrong and she and she kind of excuses herself and runs out of the house, goes to the front yard and throws up like on the sidewalk, like she's so overwhelmed with his dark of him that it just kind of like it just sort of possesses her. So he actually drives her off and says, well, let's just let's just get you something to eat. Maybe he just needs something to eat. And at this point, through her mind she's she's actually thinking, maybe this is the guy who, like, who has actually killed my friends. And again it's nothing which which he's actually sort of like admitted to at this point. It's just it's just a feeling she has. So he basically drives her to this gas station nearby, and he drives around back and pulls in the back, and it's a it's kind of it's kind of a darkened lot in the back, and he's reaching down and he's and and she's asking him, what are you reaching for? And when he comes back up, he has his gun drawn and if pointing right out her chest, and of course everything just clicks there for her. She she basically realizes, like in like in one second, that this is a guy who has killed both of her friends. And now the gun's pointed at her, so she starts to freak out. She initially tells them please don't kill me, and doesn't know what to do, but then like instinct takes her over. And Erica had been on the streets also for about a decade, and her instinct in those situations is not till I cower into her corner, but to kind of fight back, and so she kind of lunges at the steering wheel trying to like hunk the horn and kicks open the actual door. David Ortiz grabs her with his right hand. He's actually left handed, so he has the left hand pointed like on the gun pointed at Erica, and with his right hand grabs her by by like her shoulder, but he's like grabbing more, he's grabbing more of the blouse, and so she manages to like wiggle out of her blouse, kicks open the door, and jumps out in just a bra and runs off. You only help me, help me, help me. And she's at a gas station where it just so happens at that point in time that there's a Texas State trooper pumping gas at one of the pumps, and so she kind of darts towards him and tells them everything which just happened, and that somebody pulled out a gun on her and that she's pretty sure that it's the same guy who has killed these two other women.

Yeah, so she says later that she gets in the car and starts talking about the same topic that everybody alongside Bernado is talking about at that point, which is the actual murders of Claudine and Melissa and she like brings that up, and he kind of plays it off like, oh, yeah, you know, I think I heard about that, but I'm not like really following it, and they talk about it. It kind of comes up and goes. She does what she usually does, which is like shoots up heroin, and then he takes her back to his house. His wife again is visiting family up in San Antonio, so so like the house is empty, so he takes her back to his house and then Erica claims that as they're sitting down like in their living room, something comes over him and that she noticeably sees something change in his face and his and in his sort of demeanor, and he starts telling her that he's really worried that the police might think that he has something to do with Melissa's death because he had been with her a couple of days before she was found, and that they might find his his sort of DNA on her. But that's something drastically changes, like in his sort of demeanor, that his mood just kind of darkens to the point that she gets this this sort of revelation that's that something is like really wrong and she and she kind of excuses herself and runs out of the house, goes to the front yard and throws up like on the sidewalk, like she's so overwhelmed with his dark of him that it just kind of like it just sort of possesses her. So he actually drives her off and says, well, let's just let's just get you something to eat. Maybe he just needs something to eat. And at this point, through her mind she's she's actually thinking, maybe this is the guy who, like, who has actually killed my friends. And again it's nothing which which he's actually sort of like admitted to at this point. It's just it's just a feeling she has. So he basically drives her to this gas station nearby, and he drives around back and pulls in the back, and it's a it's kind of it's kind of a darkened lot in the back, and he's reaching down and he's and and she's asking him, what are you reaching for? And when he comes back up, he has his gun drawn and if pointing right out her chest, and of course everything just clicks there for her. She she basically realizes, like in like in one second, that this is a guy who has killed both of her friends. And now the gun's pointed at her, so she starts to freak out. She initially tells them please don't kill me, and doesn't know what to do, but then like instinct takes her over. And Erica had been on the streets also for about a decade, and her instinct in those situations is not till I cower into her corner, but to kind of fight back, and so she kind of lunges at the steering wheel trying to like hunk the horn and kicks open the actual door. David Ortiz grabs her with his right hand. He's actually left handed, so he has the left hand pointed like on the gun pointed at Erica, and with his right hand grabs her by by like her shoulder, but he's like grabbing more, he's grabbing more of the blouse, and so she manages to like wiggle out of her blouse, kicks open the door, and jumps out in just a bra and runs off. You only help me, help me, help me. And she's at a gas station where it just so happens at that point in time that there's a Texas State trooper pumping gas at one of the pumps, and so she kind of darts towards him and tells them everything which just happened, and that somebody pulled out a gun on her and that she's pretty sure that it's the same guy who has killed these two other women.

And he takes it seriously, obviously he does.

And he takes it seriously, obviously he does.

It's really interesting, like there's a couple of things that if they don't happen, David Ortiz may have actually killed again and again and again. One of which is that Eric Apenna tells him like this whole story, and the trooper does what he's supposed to do, which is called the local life or the police. This all happened within so like Loreto city limits, so he has to call Lreto PD to basically report it. So he calls the actual local police. Local police tell him, yeah, we'll send somebody out soon, and so they basically wait five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes, It gets up to eighteen minutes and still nobody has actually arrived. So he kind of pivots and said, well, let me just call somebody who I think is actually familiar with the case. So he calls one of his colleagues, which is EJ. Selena's the Texas Ranger, who's one of the lead investigators on the other two murders. He basically explains that he has a woman here who just came running up to him claiming that someone pulled a gun on her and that she thinks that he's involved with these other two murders, and hej Selenas tells him bring it or me, and that's what really launches this sort of manhunt for Kuan David Ortiz.