TX TX - Carol Deleon, 18, San Antonio, 3 June 1981

[bessie]

Cold Case: DPS seeks leads in 1981 murder
Submitted by Sharon Brooks on January 14, 2016 - 11:30am

Carol Deleon was 18 at the time of her death

News release from DPS:

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Comal County Crime Stoppers are asking for the public’s help in solving the murder of 18-year-old Carol Deleon of San Antonio in 1981.

On Thursday, June 4, 1981, an unidentified body of a woman was found along IH 35 in Comal County, just south of the city of New Braunfels. An autopsy later determined the victim died from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was buried as a Jane Doe in 1981; however in 2009, the Texas Rangers identified the victim as Deleon using DNA technology.

At the time of her death, Deleon lived in the West Avenue area of San Antonio and had graduated from Thomas Edison High School on May 28, 1981, just days prior to her death. She was believed to have attended a San Antonio night club on June 3, 1981. DPS is also seeking to identify the male standing with her in the photo (above right) as a possible witness.

The Comal County Crime Stoppers is offering an increased reward of up to $10,000 (for the next 30 days, expiring on Feb. 12) for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the death of Deleon. To be eligible for the cash reward, the tip must be submitted by calling 1-800-640-8422 or visiting the Comal County Crime Stoppers website at www.comalcrimestoppers.org

Anyone with information about this unsolved case can also submit a tip through the Texas Rangers’ Cold Case website or contact the Missing Persons Clearinghouse at 1-800-346-3243.

https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/texasrangers/UnsolvedHomicides/Details.aspx?&id=1#dialog

 

[Deleted member 165632]

CASE UPDATE: Texas Rangers have ID'd the man in the photo & don't consider him a suspect. From their official site:

"**Update** With the assistance of the public's help, investigators have now identified the male standing with Carol in the additional photo and do not consider him a suspect."


http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/TexasRangers/UnsolvedHomicides/Details.aspx?&id=1

 

[Betty P]

Going through the NAMUS database, there were a few other women of around the same age who disappeared from the San Antonio area.

Vicki Martinez - disappeared 1979 age 19-20

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/8629/23/

Beatrice Villela - disappeared 1981 - age 19-20

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/8814/30/



Back then, the drinking age in TX (and many states) was 18 or 19. There's no information about last known sighting of these other two women but it makes you wonder if there was someone preying on young women in bars in San Antonio area.

It sounds like Carol was out partying with friends, celebrating her graduation and was picked up by the wrong person, perhaps offering to give her a ride or inviting her to a "party" somewhere.

I hope any of the people who were with her that night can remember something. Surely she didn't go to the bar by herself.

 

[Betty P]

Here's a link to an article about the now revived St. Mary's Strip in San Antonio. It was once a popular district for nightclubs back in the 80's, many of which served the young crowd

http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/history-culture/article/After-years-of-decline-the-St-Mary-s-Strip-is-6587616.php

 

[Deleted member 165632]

Here's a link to an article about the now revived St. Mary's Strip in San Antonio. It was once a popular district for nightclubs back in the 80's, many of which served the young crowd

http://www.expressnews.com/news/loc...of-decline-the-St-Mary-s-Strip-is-6587616.php

Sorry, couldn't access that link b/c it looks like you need a subscription.

I did find this with present day & 1980s photos of St. Mary's Strip:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...-St-Mary-s-Strip-is-6587611.php#photo-8841842

 

[Betty P]

Sorry, couldn't access that link b/c it looks like you need a subscription.

I did find this with present day & 1980s photos of St. Mary's Strip:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...-St-Mary-s-Strip-is-6587611.php#photo-8841842

That's an even better link as it shows some good photos from back in the 80s. Did Carol go there with a group of friends? I wonder if they remember who she talked to or whether she left with someone.

 

[Deleted member 165632]

Going through the NAMUS database, there were a few other women of around the same age who disappeared from the San Antonio area.

Vicki Martinez - disappeared 1979 age 19-20

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/8629/23/

Beatrice Villela - disappeared 1981 - age 19-20

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/8814/30/



Back then, the drinking age in TX (and many states) was 18 or 19. There's no information about last known sighting of these other two women but it makes you wonder if there was someone preying on young women in bars in San Antonio area.

It sounds like Carol was out partying with friends, celebrating her graduation and was picked up by the wrong person, perhaps offering to give her a ride or inviting her to a "party" somewhere.

I hope any of the people who were with her that night can remember something. Surely she didn't go to the bar by herself.

Beatrice Villela - more details on her disappearance here, looks like she disappeared during the day, on her way to meet her boss & owner of a beauty salon.
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/v/villela_beatrice.html

not much info at all on the Vicki Martinez disappearance...
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/martinez_vicki.html

Thanks for the insight into San Antonio, especially the St. Mary's Strip. Maybe that was the area where Carol Deleon was on the night she disappeared. The investigation really was hampered, I believe (just my opinion, nothing to back it up) by the fact that she remained unidentified for 20+ years...

 

[Sailor Haumea]

Hmmm...

Don't want to jump to conclusions, but could she be a Henry Lee Lucas victim? She was one of his many confessed "victims", but in this case, he was residing in Del Rio, TX at the time. So it's feasible that, since Highway 35 runs through Del Rio, San Antonio, and New Braunfels, he killed her while hitchhiking, or picked her up. It's only a 3 hour drive from Del Rio to San Antonio.

Just something to think about!