Real Estate Agent Arrested 13 Years After Woman Was Stabbed More Than 100 Times

A Texas real estate agent, Mayra Velasquez, 42, has been arrested in connection with the 2012 killing of Irasema Chavez, a case that remained unsolved for more than a decade before investigators uncovered new evidence through advanced DNA technology.

Authorities confirmed that Velasquez was taken into custody on July 17 and booked into the Tarrant County Corrections Center. She is currently being held without bond while legal proceedings move forward.

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The investigation dates back to January 20, 2012, when Chavez was discovered dead inside her apartment after suffering more than 100 stab wounds in what investigators described as an extremely violent attack.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found no signs of forced entry. This led detectives to believe that the victim may have known the person responsible or had willingly allowed them into her home before the attack occurred.

One of the few clues available at the time was surveillance footage captured the night before the killing. The video showed an unidentified person dressed in loose-fitting clothing and a hooded sweatshirt climbing the stairs to Chavez’s apartment. The individual was seen knocking on the door, briefly speaking with someone inside, and then entering the apartment.

Although investigators collected blood evidence at the crime scene that did not belong to the victim, DNA testing conducted at the time failed to identify a suspect because there were no matching profiles in existing law enforcement databases.

In an effort to solve the case, detectives submitted the DNA sample to Parabon NanoLabs in 2016. Scientists used forensic DNA analysis to predict the suspect’s likely physical characteristics, including ancestry, eye color, hair color, and skin tone, creating a genetic profile to assist the investigation.

The breakthrough came in 2024 when the Arlington Police Department partnered with the FBI Dallas Field Office to apply Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG)—a technique that combines crime scene DNA with publicly available genealogy records and family history research to identify potential suspects.

After nearly two years of additional investigative work, authorities developed new evidence that ultimately led to Velasquez’s arrest.

Investigators have not disclosed the exact nature of the evidence that resulted in the arrest warrant, nor have they confirmed whether it included a direct DNA match. Officials have also not revealed whether Velasquez and Chavez had any prior relationship.

Velasquez remains in custody without bond, and court officials have not yet announced the date of her first court appearance.

As the legal process continues, investigators are expected to release additional details about the evidence that brought the 13-year-old homicide investigation to this stage.