Case Details
- Photo URLs:
-
- Missing Since:
- Missing Since 01/05/2006
- Missing From:
- Missing From Houston, Texas
- Classification:
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Gender:
- Female
- Race:
- Race Hispanic
- Date of Birth:
- Date of Birth 03/26/1968 (56)
- Age:
- Age 37 years old
- Height and Weight:
- Height and Weight 4’10, 105 pounds
- Clothing/Jewelry Description:
- Clothing/Jewelry Description A baby-blue blouse and blue jeans.
- Distinguishing Characteristics:
- Distinguishing Characteristics Hispanic female. Black hair, brown eyes. Medina’s ears are pierced. She is a native of El Salvador.
- Details of Disappearance:
- On January 5, 2006, Medina left her mother’s house in Austin, Texas, to run errands and vanished. Her boyfriend, Miguel Martinez, found her car – a white 1995 Isuzu Rodeo (license plate X13HVJ) – abandoned far from home, days later. The license plates were gone.
Martinez, the father of Medina’s unborn child, became a prime suspect. He failed lie detector tests, packed up Medina’s belongings quickly after her disappearance, and had a history of illegal weapons (he was later arrested for having homemade gun silencers). Medina had planned to leave Martinez and was looking for a new home.
Martinez confessed to killing Medina, claiming she attacked him with a letter opener. He said he pushed her in self-defense, she hit her head, and he panicked, disposing of her body. Police searched the area he described but couldn’t find her remains.
Despite his confession, Martinez pleaded guilty to murder and received a 20-year prison sentence (he could have gotten life). He later unsuccessfully tried to take back his guilty plea. Medina’s disappearance is considered a murder case due to the suspicious circumstances and Martinez’s conviction.
- Agency:
- Houston Police Department 713-731-5877
- Source Links:
This person was missing Missing Since 01/05/2006