DPS Offers Increased Reward, Seeks Leads In 1990 Starr County Murder

She went missing three days prior to her body being discovered. Several leads were investigated, but the case was never solved.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is asking for the public’s help in solving the 1990 murder of Laura Guadalupe Guerra, and an increased reward of up to $6,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible if the tip is received before next month’s featured case is announced. (A $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest is routinely offered on all cases on the Texas Rangers’ Unsolved Homicides website.)

On May 23, 1990, Guerra’s body was found in a wooded area across from the Rio Motel (1111 W. Main Street) in Rio Grande City.

Guerra, 22, had been shot to death and investigators believe she was murdered at another location, possibly the hotel, and her body was dumped in the wooded area. 

She went missing three days prior to her body being discovered. Several leads were investigated, but the case was never solved.

The Texas Rangers and the Starr County Sheriff’s Office have reopened this case and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying Guerra’s killer.

In addition, investigators believe that a possible witness – known in the area, in 1990, as “Gaston Garza” or “Mariano” – may have information on this crime and investigators are also seeking the public’s help in identifying this person.

To be eligible for the cash rewards, tipsters must provide information to authorities by calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).  All tips are anonymous.

Individuals also can submit information through the Texas Ranger Cold Case website or by contacting us at 1-800-346-3243 (DPS Missing Persons Hotline).

The DPS Texas Rangers’ Unsolved Homicides website provides information on more than 75 cases in an effort to help garner public interest in unsolved or “cold cases.” Texas Crime Stoppers offers rewards (funded by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division and administered by DPS) of up to $3,000 for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for any Rangers cold case listed on the website. For more information, visit the Texas Ranger cold case website at: http://www.dps.texas.gov/TexasRangers/UnsolvedHomicides/index.htm.

As part of a DPS public awareness program, one case from the Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigation (Cold Case) Program is featured each month in an effort to generate new investigative leads and bring attention to these cold cases.

The Texas Crime Stoppers reward is increased up to $6,000 for the featured case in hopes that the higher reward money will generate additional tips. The higher reward amount will only be paid if the tip is submitted before the next case is featured.

The Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program was created to assist Texas law enforcement agencies investigating unsolved murders or violent serial crimes. Since there is no statute of limitations for the offense of murder, investigators pursue these cases to a successful resolution or until no viable leads remain.