In this Dateline classic, Cathy Torrez was a beautiful, smart and responsible 20-year-old student. Crime Beat: Across the Street on Apple Podcasts She had a passion for life and a bright future ahead of her, said Debbie Torrez, Cathys younger sister. The front seat of the car, along with the bumper, was reportedly covered in blood and her body was found int he car trunk with at least 74 stab bounds. Originally aired on NBC on April 24, 2015. Cathy Torrez - Top podcast episodes Both are about missing girls from Placentia, a suburb just outside of Orange County. However, things soon fell apart when the 20-year-old failed to return home as usual on February 12, 1994, after her shift at Sav-On. Cathy Torrez was still alive when she was forced into the trunk of her car, where her body was found a week later. Torrez, a 20-year-old honors student at Cal State Fullerton, disappeared on the evening of Feb. 12, 1994 after leaving her job at a Sav-On drugstore in Placentia. (NBC) Friday on "Dateline," nearly 40 years after young wife and mother Cathy Krauseneck is found murdered with an axe in her upstate New York home, a new team of investigators joins the . The Cathy Torrez, Placentia, California, murder case is set to air tonight on Dateline NBC. Several years later, investigations into this slaying were revived, which led to the use of advanced techniques and the discovery of DNA belonging to Sams cousin, Xavier Lopez, on Cathys clothes. In this Dateline classic, Cathy Torrez was a beautiful, smart and responsible 20-year-old student. Cathy Torres sustained at least several fatal injuries to her wrist and neck. FULL EPISODE: The Promise - NBC News Although detectives found her body in the trunk of her car within a week, it took them nearly two decades to finally catch her killer - her on-again-off-again boyfriend Sam Lopez. Twenty years after stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death and leaving her body in the trunk of a car, Sam Lopez confessed Friday to the brutal slaying. Cathy Torres pleaded guilty to capital murder and battery. Trigger Warning: This article contains descriptions of a violent crime, which may be disturbing to some readers. Several years later, Detective Daron Wyatt revived the investigation. Sources stated that the 20-year-old was attending California State Fullerton University while working two jobs at the time, one of them being at the local drug store, Sav-On. Cathy Torres Cathy Torres, 48, of Bella Vista, Ark., is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder and battery in the 2015 death of her son, Mauricio "Isaiah" Torres. On the other hand, Xavier pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and received a four-year, eight-month prison sentence. Toni Fratto & Kody Patten were both 17 when they took Micaela Costanzo out to a grave in the Nevada desert & beat her up, hit her over the head with a shovel. Given how long this series has been on the air, it has an extensive archive of some of the most baffling cases to have transpired in America. Senior Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy told jurors at Samuel Lopezs trial that he killed his on-again, off-again girlfriend on Feb. 12, 1994, after the 20-year-old Cal State Fullerton student rejected his proposal to elope. When this got combined with Sams stoic expressions upon being notified of his girlfriends demise, their doubts furthered. Samuel Lopez used a newspaper and plastic bag to lift the . But as DNA technology improved over the years, there was finally evidence to link Xavier Lopez to the scene of the crime. Twenty years after stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death and leaving her body in the trunk of a car, Sam Lopez confessed Friday to the brutal slaying. Your email address will not be published. Who killed Debbie Gama and what happened to him? The Promise Kept. Select this result to view Kathy M Torres's phone number, address, and more. April 25, 2015 She had a beautiful, promising future, full of life, and I took everything away from her. Xavier Lopez pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and received a four-year, eight-month prison sentence. Cathy, who went missing on February 12, 1994, was found dead a few days later, on February 19, inside the trunk of her abandoned car, a red 1990 Toyota Corolla, which was spotted in a hospital parking lot by a patrolling officer. by 2Paragraphs in Culture, True Crime Murder TV | March 20, 2021, Placentia, CA featured on Dateline 'The Promise' (NBC). However, with no physical evidence tying Sam to Cathys remains or her car, the case went cold. Sams brother Armando was married to Cathys older sister Tina at the time. 2. Her mutilated body was found a week later, still in her car, in the parking lot of Placentia-Linda Hospital. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Originally aired on NBC on April 24, 2015. Cathy Torrez never came home after work and her family fears the worst. According to reports, the front seat and bumper of the car were soaked in blood, and her body was discovered in the trunk with at least 74 stab wounds. It take years to get to the truth. A judge granted a request for a complete mistrial after a stepson of Mauricio Torres jumped out of the witness stand and attempted to attack him in court while testifying . After court, Torrez's mother, Mary Bennett, told Eyewitness News that she never lost faith in the system. The last person we meet is Sam Lopez, who lives across the street. The prosecution and defense moved into the sentencing phase following the jury's verdict. Torres' wife, Cathy, is scheduled to go to trial on the same charges in May 2017. NBCs Dateline has been a staple of the true-crime genre ever since its premiere in 1992. Sometimes, it even revisits matters with added updates, which has been the case for its episode entitled The Promise. Profiling the 1994 disappearance and murder of Cathy Torrez, this classic highlights exactly how investigators used advanced technology to bring her justice decades later. "It's been a difficult journey, but we were constantly supported by prayers and faith," said Torrez's sister, Tina Mora. Discretion is advised. In this Dateline classic, Cathy Torrez was a beautiful, smart and responsible 20-year-old student. Although the boyfriend was a prime suspect in the case, due to a lack of solid physical evidence, the case went cold until 2007, when DNA found on the victim connected Sam's cousin Xavier Lopez to the murder. Please logout and login again. April 20, 2023, 7:40 PM UTCBy Veronica FultonLast month marked the 20 year anniversary of the murder of 20-year-old SUNY Orange student Megan McDonald. Ex-boyfriend found guilty of killing Cal State Fullerton student in "Dateline NBC" Deadly Twist (TV Episode 2015) - IMDb
