MCALLEN — 1960 · Murder
The Irene Garza case
On 16 April 1960, in McAllen, Texas, 25-year-old teacher Irene Garza did not return home after going to church; her body was found five days later. The investigation identified the priest to whom she had last gone to confession as the sole suspect, but under the conditions of the time insufficient evidence was gathered and the case was closed. In 2002, two clergymen disclosed that the suspect had confessed to them years earlier, reviving the case. In 2017, 57 years after the crime, the defendant was tried, found guilty of murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment, making the case one of the oldest cold cases ever solved in the United States.
- Date
- 1960
- Place
- Texas, USA, McAllen, US
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 26.2034, -98.2300 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 1960She disappeared and her body was found (April)
- 1960The case was closed for lack of evidence
- 2002The case was reopened after two witnesses came forward
- 2017The defendant was found guilty: life imprisonment
Sources
- Court Records
- Official Report
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Related Cases
More cases from the 1960s
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.