TEXAS
The Monitor
ARCHIVE: State Police Get Garza Case Files; No Suspects Are Charged
ARCHIVE: More Than 500 Questioned In Garza Slaying
ARCHIVE: Police Still Sift for Murder Clue
ARCHIVE: Killer Reward Up to $2500
Editor’s Note: This article about Irene Garza was originally printed in the April 21, 1960, edition of The Monitor.
The badly beaten body of Miss Irene Garza, missing 25-year-old McAllen school teacher was discovered floating in the Second Street canal near the Sears Roebuck Co., store at 7:40 a.m. today.
The body; clad in the clothing Miss Garza was wearing when she disappeared, was floating face downward.
Police chief Clint Mussey announced he was questioning suspects “although we have no strong leads.”
An intensive police manhunt for the abductor and slayer of the attractive, dark-haired woman was spurred by a $1,000 reward offered by Whalen’s for “information leading to the arrest and conviction” of the person of persons responsible for the crime.
Later in the morning, O. Terry, local department store owner, announced he was offering an additional $500 reward.
Autopsy Being Held
At noon today pathologists were still working on the body at the Kreidler Funeral home to determine the immediate cause of death and police said the autopsy report would not be released until afternoon.
Justice of the Peace Harley Jackson said he had been ordered to report his death verdict only to the police.
Although police refused to confirm reports that the body was mutilated, an observer at the autopsy said the face was badly beaten and that there were other severe beating marks over the body. The autopsy was expected to show if the victim had been criminally assaulted.
The body was discovered almost simultaneously by Mrs. W. Arnold. 206 First Street, and George Pearson, 200 Peking Avenue. They were passing by the canal when they saw the sack floating in the water only a few yards away from the busy intersection of U.S. Highway 83 and South Second Street opposite the Sears store.
The body was floating face downward. It was removed to the Kreidler Funeral Home where positive identification was made by members of the family. According to police, she was wearing the clothing which she was wearing when she left her home on North 15th Street at 6:45 p.m. Saturday to attend services at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.