SerpApi.Org
A Texas murder case that sat unsolved for more than a decade has abruptly moved forward with the arrest of a local real estate agent. Authorities say 42-year-old Mayra Velasquez is being held without bond on a capital murder charge in the 2012 killing of 32-year-old Irasema Chavez, who was found stabbed around 100 times in her Arlington apartment, Fox News reports. There were no signs of forced entry, and surveillance video at the time showed a hooded figure knocking on Chavez's door and being let in, but the footage didn't generate a suspect and the investigation went cold.
Detectives had collected unidentified blood from the scene, and in 2016 turned to Parabon NanoLabs for DNA phenotyping, which suggested a suspect with Latino ancestry and long brown hair—still not enough for an arrest. The break came after Arlington police brought the case to the FBI's investigative genetic genealogy program in November 2024, leading to what officials call a major lead and, ultimately, a warrant for Velasquez.
Authorities have not said what evidence tied her to the killing or whether she knew Chavez. Velasquez, whose real estate license remains active, has also recently worked as a sales rep for a limo company, CBS News reports. Her associates say they are shocked by the arrest. Arlington police and the FBI are expected to provide more details on the case at a Wednesday morning news conference. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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