Texas Man Arrested in Decades Old Cold Case Murder Investigation

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a grand jury has recently indicted a Texas man in connection with a 2005 cold case murder.

What We Know About the Texas Cold Case Murder of  Valerie Laguna

In 2005, Valerie Laguna's body was discovered in a cemetery near Cotulla, Texas. Cotulla is a small town between San Antonio and Laredo. Valerie was only 26 years old and heavily pregnant at the time of her death.

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Valerie's body was found with "trauma to her head and a laceration near her neck area." She is believed to have been beaten, strangled, and sexually assaulted. Her baby was at 8 months of gestation and also did not survive the brutal attack.

Details of the Arrest After Decades of Investigation

In 2021, Valerie Lagina's case was found to be eligible for the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) program, which provides funding for DNA analysis in unsolved sexual assault cases and sexually motivated homicides.

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Because DNA analysis continuously improves, it was in 2023 that DNA evidence was reanalyzed, this time connecting a suspect to this crime, Saul Gonzalez of San Antonio.

Recently, the Texas Rangers, in collaboration with the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office, were able to apprehend Saul Gonzalez in Cotulla.

Gonzales has been charged with capital murder and is being held at the La Salle County jail. Capital murder crimes can be eligible for the death penalty in Texas.

Other details are sparse, as this is an active investigation, but hopefully, after 20 years, Valerie and her baby will finally see some justice.