Justice at Last Texas Cold Case Murder of Laredo Mom Solved

At last, justice might be served in this Texas cold case of murdered Janette Jaramillo and her killer is behind bars.

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I remember this case like it was yesterday. Back in 2016, I talked about it on-air and posted about it on our station’s social media. The brutal murder of Janette Escamilla Jaramillo shook the Laredo community to its core and broke the hearts of so many of us who followed her story. Janette was a 33-year-old mother of nine children. She deserved to come home that night. She deserved justice. And now, after nearly a decade, it looks like justice has finally arrived.

Left for Dead Just Blocks from Home

On May 18, 2016, Janette clocked out after a hard day’s work, but she never made it home. By morning, city workers made a horrific discovery, her body was found underneath a skate ramp at Seven Flags Park, only blocks away from her home. She had been strangled during an attempted sexual assault. She was discarded like trash, and her killer walked free for years.

The Breakthrough Came from DNA and Determination

Back then, authorities had only blurry surveillance footage of her walking with a man in a trash bag, likely trying to stay dry in the rain. That lead quickly went cold. But in 2021, thanks to the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) and funding from the Department of Justice, Janette’s case got a second chance. Advanced DNA testing through Bode Technologies identified Sergio Mendez, now 42 years old.

Her Killer Should Never See the Light of Day

Mendez, already in prison for another crime, was indicted by a Webb County grand jury earlier this month. He may be behind bars now, but that’s not enough. In my heart, and I’m sure in the hearts of Janette’s loved ones, this man should never again walk free. He stole a mother, a daughter, and a friend, and left nine children without their mama.

Let this case be a reminder that justice might take time, but it never forgets.