Man arrested in 17-year-old Lubbock cold case murder of young mother (Cynthia Joann Palacio, 21)

[up2trouble]

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...photo-19912527

Andy Castillo, 57, is facing charges in the 17-year-old cold case murder of a young mother in Lubbock, the Texas Department of Public Safety announced in a news release on Friday.

On July 15, 2003, Cynthia Joann Palacio, who was 21-years-old at the time, was found on a rural road in Southeast Lubbock County, partially nude and strangled, the release stated. Her last known whereabouts were unknown. Palacio is survived by her daughter, who was 2-years-old at the time of her death.

Over the years, law enforcement has scrutinized evidence and investigated tips as they came in. A recent alert in CODIS ' the Combined DNA Index System ' led the Texas Rangers and the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office to focus their attention on Castillo, according to the release.

Castillo was in the McLennan County Jail in Waco on unrelated criminal solicitation to commit child sexual assault charges when he was served with the arrest warrant in Palacio's case, the release stated.

"One of our duties in law enforcement is to pursue every lead and seek justice for victims and their families, even when the case runs cold," DPS Director Steven McCraw stated in the release. "I'm proud of the diligent efforts by the Texas Rangers and the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office to solve this nearly two-decade-old case and find justice for a young woman who was brutally murdered."

According to the release, the investigation into Palacio's death has been linked to another homicide ' the April 2004 killing of Linda Trevino Carbajal, which remains under investigation. Carbajal, who was 21 years old, was found strangled on a rural road in northern Lubbock County; she had suffered blunt force injuries.

[kevansvault]

Awesome! Another dickhead taken out of circulation. Now end the motherfucker and get right on to the next one.

[Bewitchingstorm]

From 2021.

A Lubbock man, linked by investigators to the 2003 death of Cynthia Palacio and the 2004 death of her roommate, Linda Carbajal, died while in custody at the Lubbock County Detention Center. The jail roster says Andy Castillo, 58, was “released, deceased” on Friday, Aug. 27 at 4:33 p.m.

On Nov. 10, officials announced that he died from COVID-19.

https://www.kcbd.com/2021/08/30/accu...jal-dies-jail/

[raisedbywolves]

I would have liked to have seen this go to trial. People suspected for a long time that there were two different serial killers operating in Lubbock at this time. They caught and executed one, but the deaths of young women (most were supposedly prostitutes) who were dumped out on oilfield roads was never caught. Cynthia was one of the deaths linked to these other deaths, but I would have loved to have seen all of the evidence. There were so many rumours at the time and suspicions about LE too.

[Bewitchingstorm]

I would have liked to have seen this go to trial. People suspected for a long time that there were two different serial killers operating in Lubbock at this time. They caught and executed one, but the deaths of young women (most were supposedly prostitutes) who were dumped out on oilfield roads was never caught. Cynthia was one of the deaths linked to these other deaths, but I would have loved to have seen all of the evidence. There were so many rumours at the time and suspicions about LE too.

I had never heard of any of the crimes, but that is very interesting.

[raisedbywolves]

Lubbock officials and LE adamantly denied that there were any serial killers at the time. There were two distinct sets of crimes going on (missing young women in one and the dumped bodies in the other one). My co-workers' daughter went missing while I was still there, and she was found murdered several years later and tied to Rosendo Rodriguez. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosendo_Rodriguez

As far as I know they never really tied the other ones to each other or a culprit. Cynthia's case had the only arrest that I know of.

[Bewitchingstorm]

Lubbock officials and LE adamantly denied that there were any serial killers at the time. There were two distinct sets of crimes going on (missing young women in one and the dumped bodies in the other one). My co-workers' daughter went missing while I was still there, and she was found murdered several years later and tied to Rosendo Rodriguez. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosendo_Rodriguez

As far as I know they never really tied the other ones to each other or a culprit. Cynthia's case had the only arrest that I know of.

Were they all sex workers? It seems like LE always dismiss crimes against them.

[raisedbywolves]

Were they all sex workers? It seems like LE always dismiss crimes against them.

No. My coworkers' daughter was a 16 year old honor student who worked at Subway. She was abducted from her home about a mile from where I lived at the time.

This woman is also still missing. She was also not a sex worker. https://charleyproject.org/case/jennifer-lynn-wilkerson

[Bewitchingstorm]

No. My coworkers' daughter was a 16 year old honor student who worked at Subway. She was abducted from her home about a mile from where I lived at the time.

This woman is also still missing. She was also not a sex worker. https://charleyproject.org/case/jennifer-lynn-wilkerson

That is so sad. Sorry I asked if they were all sex workers; it just infuriates me when police turn a blind eye when there are crimes against them.

[raisedbywolves]

That is so sad. Sorry I asked if they were all sex workers; it just infuriates me when police turn a blind eye when there are crimes against them.

No, you are absolutely correct. All of the women found dumped nude were sex workers (or suspected of being sex workers) and I absolutely think that's why no one was ever charged in it. The only reason the 2nd case was solved was because the 2nd woman he killed (that we know of) was a witness for the FBI so they took it very seriously and started investigating and a very rare police officer did some good investigative work on the case and broke it.

[Bewitchingstorm]

No, you are absolutely correct. All of the women found dumped nude were sex workers (or suspected of being sex workers) and I absolutely think that's why no one was ever charged in it. The only reason the 2nd case was solved was because the 2nd woman he killed (that we know of) was a witness for the FBI so they took it very seriously and started investigating and a very rare police officer did some good investigative work on the case and broke it.

Good for that police officer!

[raisedbywolves]

I mentioned this whole mess before in this other thread: https://mydeathspace.com/vb/showthre...hlight=rosendo

There's more on the Rosendo Rodriguez case here and how the cop caught him: https://www.oxygen.com/one-deadly-mi...-2-texas-women

[Bewitchingstorm]

I will look at the other thread as well.