A Texas real estate agent has been arrested for the 2012 murder of a woman who was found with approximately 100 stab wounds in her Arlington apartment.
Mayra Velasquez, 42, was booked into the Tarrant County Corrections Center on July 17, facing charges of capital murder in connection with the death of Irasema Chavez. Chavez, 32, was discovered dead in her apartment on January 20, 2012.
Investigators at the time noted no signs of forced entry, suggesting Chavez may have known her assailant or voluntarily allowed them inside. A key piece of evidence was surveillance footage from the night before the murder, showing an unidentified individual in baggy clothing and a hoodie climbing stairs to Chavez's unit, knocking, and being admitted after an exchange.
Despite leads including blood found at the scene that did not belong to Chavez, the case went cold as DNA evidence did not match any existing databases, and witness information was limited.
In 2016, investigators sent a blood sample to Parabon NanoLabs, which used DNA markers to generate a composite sketch of the suspect. However, the individual remained unidentified.
The Arlington Police Department, in partnership with the FBI Dallas Field Office, re-examined the case in 2024 using the FBI's Investigative Genetic Genealogy program. This program combines crime-scene DNA analysis with public genealogy databases and family tree research.
After two years, the IGG program provided a significant lead, enabling detectives to develop additional evidence. While the exact nature of this new evidence and whether it constituted a direct DNA match with Velasquez has not been revealed, it was sufficient for law enforcement to secure an arrest warrant.
It remains unclear if Velasquez and Chavez knew each other. Velasquez, who holds an active real estate license and previously worked for Pure Realtors, LLC, also works as an affiliate manager for JC Limo. Her social media accounts depict extensive travel in the years following the alleged murder.
Velasquez is currently being held without bond, and her next court date has not yet been scheduled.